Department for Transport

Motor Vehicles: Registration

James Daly: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of registered keepers of vehicles are not readily traceable or contactable.

Mr Richard Holden: Based on the latest available data, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is confident that 92.44% (46,707,158) of the keepers on record are contactable and traceable based on the information held on the DVLA’s records.Of the remaining 7.56% of vehicles, 5.85% (2,957,366) are shown on the DVLA’s records as being ‘in trade’. These are vehicles for which the DVLA has been notified that the previous keeper has sold or disposed of the vehicle to a motor trader. Until the DVLA is notified of a new keeper they will remain shown as “in trade”. This is a legitimate status for a vehicle record until the vehicle is sold on or otherwise disposed of by the motor trader.A further 1.36% (686,074) are vehicles that are taxed or notified as being kept off the road but there is no current registered keeper on the DVLA’s records. In some cases these will be vehicles which have recently been sold and the DVLA has not yet been notified of the new keeper.The remaining 0.35% (175,782) are vehicles for which the DVLA does not have a full address on record which may make tracing a keeper more difficult.

Department for Transport: Coronavirus

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many employees in his Department work on matters related to covid-19.

Jesse Norman: As of the 15th November 2022 there are 19 members of staff undertaking work on matters directly relating to Covid-19 where this work constitutes the majority of their working time. These staff members are primarily in DfT’s Covid-19 Inquiry Response Division. Their work will include input and support from relevant functions and modal teams as necessary.

Department for Transport: Redundancy Pay

Christine Jardine: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost to the public purse has been of Ministerial severance pay in his Department in each year since 1 January 2016.

Jesse Norman: Under the Ministerial and Other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991, eligible Ministers who leave office are entitled to a one off payment equivalent to one quarter of their annual salary at the point at which they leave Government.This applies only where a Minister is under 65 and is not appointed to a ministerial office within three weeks of leaving government.Individuals may waive the payment to which they are entitled. That is a matter for their personal discretion, but this approach has been taken in the past.Details of such payments are published in departmental annual reports and accounts, and ministerial salaries are published on GOV.UK at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1027301/Salaries_of_Members_of_Her_Majestys_Government_-_Financial_Year_2021-22_-_Publication.pdf.

Avanti West Coast: Stockport

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 November 2022 to Question 80947 on Avanti West Coast: Stockport, whether his Department has recorded the proportion of Avanti West Coast services that ran on days that industrial action did not take place (a) since June 2022 and (b) in the same period in 2021.

Huw Merriman: Information relating to trains planned and cancellations by operator is publicly available on the Office and Rail and Road website. Avanti West Coast’s information is included below Avanti West Coast has sought force majeure relief under its contract for industrial action including for the impact of the withdrawal of rest day working. While the Department considers this claim it is unable to accurately exclude data relating to periods affected by industrial action in 2022/23. There was no industrial action in the period for 2021/22. Rail periodTrains plannedTrains part cancelledTrains full cancelledCancellations score (number)Proportion of services that ran30 May – 26 June 20216,04961659698.4%27 June – 24 July 20216,09211626432294.7%25 July – 21 August 20214,931718111797.6%22 August – 18 September 20216,047706910498.3%19 September – 16 October 20216,123796110198.4% Rail periodTrains plannedTrains part cancelledTrains full cancelledCancellations score (number)Proportion of services that ran29 May – 25 June 20225,94914749456890.5%26 June – 23 July 20226,4322888991,04383.8%24 July – 20 August 20225,23023666378185.1%21 August – 17 September 20224,79112226432593.2%18 September – 15 October 20224,52818624133492.6%

Cycling and Walking: Finance

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding for active travel programmes in the UK.

Jesse Norman: The Department’s Ministers and officials have regular discussions with their counterparts in His Majesty’s Treasury on active travel programmes in England. Recent discussions have included the development of the second Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS2) and Active Travel England’s delivery programme.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Research: Finance

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of public sector funding for research and development; and if he will make an assessment of that funding on private sector investment in research and development at all stages of research.

George Freeman: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Fossil Fuels: Climate Change

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Global Witness report that 636 fossil fuel lobbyists were granted access to COP27, whether the Government is taking to steps to help tackle the influence of fossil fuel lobbyists on international climate change policy.

Graham Stuart: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Warm Home Discount Scheme

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of removing eligibility to the Warm Home Discount Scheme for recipients of Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payments on the care needs and health conditions of people in receipt of those benefits.

Graham Stuart: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Energy Bills Rebate

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many vouchers issued to those on prepayment meters in October as part of the Energy Bills Support Scheme have not been redeemed as of 14 November.

Graham Stuart: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

District Heating: Price Caps

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 12 October 2022 to Question 55021 on District Heating: Price Caps, whether his Department has established the mechanism they will use to ensure customers on heat networks will receive the £400 payment as part of the Energy Bills Support scheme; and what his expected timetable is for when customers will receive that payment.

Graham Stuart: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

District Heating: Price Caps

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 12 October 2022 to Question 55021, by what mechanism heat network customers will receive support equivalent to the Energy Price Guarantee; and when those support payments will begin.

Graham Stuart: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Carbon Emissions: Job Creation

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Pursuant to the Answer of 8th November 2022 to Question 78696 on Carbon Emissions: Job Creation, how many of the estimated 54,000 jobs in the low-carbon industry will be based in Merseyside.

Graham Stuart: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Housing: Sefton Central

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Pursuant to the Answer of 8th November 2022 to Question 77388, which wards in Sefton Central have had external wall insulation fitted.

Graham Stuart: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Housing: Sefton Central

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Pursuant to the Answer of 8th November 2022 to Question 77388 on Housing: Sefton Central, how many homes (a) there are (b) require external wall insulation in Sefton Central constituency.

Graham Stuart: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Housing: Sefton Central

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Pursuant to the Answer of 7th November 2022 to Question 75899 on Housing: Sefton Central, what discussion he has held with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the progress of the Green Heat Networks Fund.

Graham Stuart: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Housing: Sefton Central

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 7th November 2022 to Question 75897 on Housing: Sefton Central, what steps his Department plans to take to increase the rate of loft insulation in Sefton Central.

Graham Stuart: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Redundancy

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether they (a) have or (b) are planning a voluntary exit programme for civil servants serving in their Department.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Department is currently supporting voluntary exits of individual staff members where there is a sufficient business case with Cabinet Office approval. The Department is not planning to advertise a voluntary exit programme across the Department.

Public Consultation: Government Responses

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many (a) consultations and (b) calls for evidence issued by his Department that have closed since 1 January 2020 have not received a Government response.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has issued 54 consultations and calls for evidence, that have closed since 1 January 2020, for which a response by the Department is still outstanding: a) 33 consultations (11 of which are still within the recommended response period);b) 21 calls for evidence (3 of which are still within the recommended response period).

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when his Department will respond substantively to the correspondence of 4 October 2022 from the hon. Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney, reference MCB2022/23191.

Kevin Hollinrake: My Rt. Hon. Friend the Minister of State for Climate wrote to the hon. Member on 15 November about the Energy Bill Relief Scheme.

Living Wage

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of raising the National Living Wage to take people out of in work poverty; and to what level he plans to increase the National Living Wage by 2025.

Kevin Hollinrake: The National Minimum Wage and the National Living Wage (NLW) rates are set on the independent and expert advice of the Low Pay Commission, who take account of the impact on business and the economy. On 1 April 2022, the Government increased the NLW for over 23s by 6.6% to £9.50. This keeps the Government on track to achieve its manifesto commitment for the NLW to equal two-thirds of median earnings by 2024 subject to wider economic conditions.

Business: Ethnic Groups

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with venture capital industry representatives on tackling funding gaps for minority ethnic-owned businesses; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Government recognises the challenges in accessing finance faced by minority-ethnic owned businesses and has reflected that in the British Business Bank’s objective to identify and help to reduce imbalances in access to finance. The Bank’s latest Annual Report highlights that in 2020/21, 21% of Start Up Loans were provided to founders from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic backgrounds. Ministers regularly engage with ethnic minority business leaders and representative organisations including through the Ethnic Minority Business Group. Access to finance has been regularly raised and we will continue to discuss this with VC industry representatives and ethnic minority businesses.

Department of Health and Social Care

Menopause: Health Services

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) reduce variations in access to menopause treatment and (b) ensure that women get equal access to the treatments they need.

Maria Caulfield: The NHS National Menopause Care Improvement Programme aims to improve clinical menopause care in England and reduce disparities in access to treatment. The National Health Service is also developing an education and training package on menopause for healthcare professionals.We are planning to introduce a pre-payment certificate (PPC) for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) from April 2023. The PPC will enable women to access as many NHS prescriptions for HRT medicines licensed for treatment of the menopause as needed for an annual cost of two single item prescription charges.We are also working with suppliers to expedite resupply dates of HRT products and secure additional stock via Serious Shortage Protocols and we have allowed alternative products to be dispensed. We are also working with the pharmaceutical industry to increase capacity to meet demand.

NHS: Protective Clothing

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 9 November 2022 to Question 61151 on Protective Clothing: Storage, what the average (a) daily, (b) weekly and (c) monthly cost has been of the storage of that personal protective equipment in the latest period for which data is available.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department of Health and Social Care: Redundancy Pay

Christine Jardine: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the cost to the public purse has been of Ministerial severance pay in his Department in each year since 1 January 2016.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Influenza: Vaccination

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients aged 65 years or older have been inappropriately given the QIVe flu vaccine in the South East since 20 September 2022.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Hospitals: Construction

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many new surgical hubs the New Hospital Programme is expected to deliver.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Making Smoking Obsolete Independent Review

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, The Khan review: making smoking obsolete published 9 June 2022, what steps his Department is taking to address the findings of that report.

Neil O'Brien: The Government is considering the independent recommendations made in the Khan Review and how these could be implemented. We are undertaking a range of work to offer vaping as a substitute for smkoing, as at Recommendation 8 of the Khan Review. In September 2022, we published ‘Nicotine vaping in England: 2022 evidence update’ sets out the latest evidence on the health effects of vaping and addresses misconceptions surrounding vapes, which is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nicotine-vaping-in-england-2022-evidence-updateWe will provide an update on our plans to meet the Smokefree 2030 ambition in due course.

HIV Infection: Drugs

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to his Answer of 9 November 2022 to Question 78830 on HIV Infection: Drugs, if he will set out a timeline for the publication of the Government's plan to improve access to pre-exposure prophylaxis.

Neil O'Brien: We will set out further plans in due course.

General Practitioners: Portsmouth South

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many GP practices were open in Portsmouth South constituency on (a) 11 November 2022 and (b) in 2013.

Neil O'Brien: As of 11 November 2022, there were five practices registered in Portsmouth South and 18 practices were registered on 11 November 2013. Practices close for a variety of reasons, including practice mergers or retirement. A reduction in practice numbers does not indicate a reduction in the quality of care. When a practice closes, patients are informed and advised to register at another local practice of their choice. Practices and commissioners must put in place appropriate measures to ensure that affected patients have access to general practitioner services.

Dental Services: Portsmouth South

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of dental practices were rated as good by the Care Quality Commission in Portsmouth South constituency as of 10 November 2022.

Neil O'Brien: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) does not currently rate providers of primary dental care services.  The CQC publishes an assessment against five ‘key aspects’ which determine whether a dental provider is meeting its regulatory requirements. These are:- Treating people with respect and involving them in their care;- Providing care, treatment and support that meets people's needs;- Caring for people safely and protecting them from harm;- Staffing; and- Quality and suitability of management.The CQC provides online information for the public to find local dentists and profiles, which display the regulatory performance and inspection reports.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to include additional chronic medical conditions in the list of such conditions for which prescription charge exemptions apply.

Neil O'Brien: There are no plans to do so. Approximately 89% of prescription items are currently dispensed free of charge and there are a range of exemptions from prescription charges for which those with chronic medical conditions may meet the eligibility criteria and be in receipt of free prescriptions.To support those who do not qualify for an exemption from prescription charges, the cost of prescriptions can be reduced by purchasing a prescription pre-payment certificate. A holder of a 12-month certificate can get all the prescriptions required for just over £2 per week. Additionally, those on a low income who do not qualify for an exemption may be eligible for assistance with prescription charges through the NHS Low Income Scheme.

HIV Infection: Drugs

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help increase the uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis.

Neil O'Brien: The HIV Action Plan commits to improve uptake and access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), including maintaining funding of £23 million through the Public Health Grant, further plans to increase innovation in the delivery of PrEP and address equity of access for specific population groups.The UK Health Security Agency has published a monitoring and evaluation framework to support local authorities, sexual health services and other stakeholders to inform continuous service improvement in PrEP commissioning and delivery, using existing data. We are also currently gathering evidence to understand why some population groups which would benefit from PrEP are under-represented and identify potential barriers to access. This will be considered by the PrEP Access and Equity Task and Finish Group and will inform the development of the PrEP plan.

Dental Services: Norwich North

Chloe Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to NHS dentists in Norwich North constituency.

Chloe Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to increase the number of dentists taking on NHS patients (a) nationally and (b) in Norwich North constituency.

Neil O'Brien: NHS England asked dental practices to return to full delivery of contracted activity from July 2022, including in Norwich North. In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in Norwich North.The plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.

Infectious Diseases: Disease Control

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many employees in his Department are working on pandemic preparedness as of 14 November 2022.

Neil O'Brien: This information is not held in the format requested. Officials throughout the Department are engaged in preparations to prevent or mitigate a pandemic and strengthen resilience in the health and social care sector.In addition to Departmental employees, officials within local governments, the UK Health Security Agency and NHS England are all routinely involved in preparing and planning for pandemics and other health emergencies.

Dental Services

Chloe Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to help ensure the accuracy of dental listings with availability on the NHS website.

Neil O'Brien: In July 2022, we announced improvements to the National Health Service dental system, including a requirement for dentists to update information at NHS.UK at least every 90 days. Compliance will be monitored on the number of dentists updating this availability quarterly through NHS dental contracts.

General Practitioners

Chloe Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to GPs within the two-week appointment guideline for patients who prefer face to face appointments or are unable to use online forms (a) in Norfolk and (b) nationally.

Neil O'Brien: On 22 September 2022, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which contains measures to assist people make an informed choice on their general practitioner (GP) practice, book an appointment more easily, benefit from more care options and increase the diversity of general practice teams. This aims to increase the availability of appointment types, such as face-to-face, in England, including in Norfolk.  NHS England’s guidance states that GP practices must provide face-to-face appointments and remote consultations and should respect preferences for face-to-face care unless there are good clinical reasons to the contrary.  While remote consultations can provide additional choice, flexibility and convenience for patients, this is not suitable for all patients or in all circumstances.

Electronic Cigarettes: Children

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is planning to take to tackle underage vape use.

Neil O'Brien: There is a regulatory framework to deter the appeal of vapes to children, through restricting product advertising, limits on nicotine strength, labelling and safety requirements. It is illegal to sell vapes to those aged under 18 years old and we continue to work with enforcement agencies to ensure these regulations are being enforced in England.In order to raise awareness of the risks of vaping to children, we have recently updated information and advice on the Better Health and Talk to Frank online platforms. We will also continue to work with the Department of Education to communicate to schools on policies to prevent children from starting to vape.

Pregnancy: Air Pollution

Carla Lockhart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department have taken steps to commission research on the potential impact of air pollution on developing lungs and brains during pregnancy.

Neil O'Brien: The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR has over £13 million allocated to active research into air pollution. The NIHR supports a range of research on the effects of air quality on health, including the relationship between exposure to air pollutants and adverse birth outcomes in England, Scotland and Wales. This is primarily undertaken through the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Exposures and Health at Imperial College London, with the UK Health Security Agency.

General Practitioners: Disclosure of Information

Chloe Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made towards publishing data on the number of appointments each GP practice in England is delivering and how long people wait between booking and receiving an appointment.

Neil O'Brien: We expect this data to published with monthly general practice appointment data on 24 November 2022.

Dental Services: Portsmouth South

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children under the age of (a) four and (b) 11 were admitted to hospital for a tooth extraction due to decay in Portsmouth South constituency in each of the last five years.

Neil O'Brien: This information is not held in the format requested.

HIV Infection: Portsmouth South

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were diagnosed with HIV in Portsmouth South constituency in each of the last five years.

Neil O'Brien: This information is not collected in the format requested.

Monkeypox: Vaccination

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve the supply of Monkey Pox vaccines.

Neil O'Brien: We have procured over 154,000 vials of the vaccine used for monkeypox, which provides sufficient supply to deliver the UK Health Security Agency’s targeted vaccination strategy in full. In England, the National Health Service is responsible for co-ordinating the vaccination programme and ensuring sufficient supply is made available to clinics.

Parkinson's Disease: Scotland

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on access to multidisciplinary Parkinson's care in the UK.

Helen Whately: There have been no specific discussions.

Midwives

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much NHS England has spent on agency midwives in each of the last five years.

Will Quince: This information is not collected in the format requested.

Nurses: Migrant Workers

Rob Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with counterparts abroad about ensuring that the standards of nursing education in their countries meet the requirements of the NHS; and what recent discussions he has had with the Nursing and Midwifery Council on their acceptance of the qualifications of foreign nurses applying to work in the NHS.

Will Quince: There have been no recent discussions. As the independent regulator, the Nursing and Midwifery Council define the requirements for overseas nurses applying to work in the United Kingdom.

Brain: Tumours

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that the health service is meeting its operational standard that 93 per cent of patients with a suspected brain tumour are seen within two weeks.

Helen Whately: The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’ sets out how the National Health Service will recover and expand elective services over the next three years, including cancer services. We have allocated more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25. This funding aims to deliver the equivalent of approximately nine million additional checks and procedures and 30% further elective activity by 2024/25 than pre-pandemic levels.

Cancer: Feltham and Heston

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to improve outcomes for people diagnosed with a less survivable cancer in Feltham and Heston constituency.

Helen Whately: The NHS Long Term Plan set out the ambition of diagnosing 75% of cancers at stage 1 or 2 by 2028.General practitioners (GPs) in Felton and Heston can refer patients with non-specific symptoms of potential cancers to the West Middlesex Hospital’s Acute Diagnostic Oncology Clinic for a rapid diagnosis. Feltham and Bedfont Primary Care Network is prioritising the introduction of Targeted Lung Health checks, which screen for stage 1 and 2 lung cancers.

Care Homes

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with stakeholders on the potential merits of  amending legislation to ensure all those in health and care settings have the legal right to at least one essential Care Supporter that could visit them in all circumstances.

Helen Whately: On 2 November, we hosted discussions with representatives from Rights for Residents, John’s Campaign and the Relatives and Residents Association on visiting.

Members: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the letters of 9 September and 6 October 2022 from the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare on behalf of his constituents Edmund Bullingham and Donni Osmond.

Helen Whately: We replied to the hon. Member on 16 November 2022.

Strokes: Mechanical Thrombectomy

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the Saving Brains report published by the Stroke Association in October 2022.

Helen Whately: NHS England has noted the Stroke Association’s report on the delivery of thrombectomy services. Working with the General Medical Council, the National Health Service aims to increase the number of specialists qualified to provide mechanical thrombectomy for the treatment of acute ischaemic stroke through extended accredited training.

Social Services: Staff

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of conducting an annual audit of knowledge and skills in the social care workforce.

Helen Whately: No specific assessment has been made.

Lung Diseases: Diagnosis

Mark Logan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve early diagnoses of pulmonary fibrosis.

Helen Whately: The NHS Long Term Plan includes ambitions to increase early and accurate diagnosis of respiratory conditions. To deliver this commitment, NHS England has established 13 respiratory clinical networks. The National Health Service has been asked to restore spirometry checks to pre-pandemic levels in 2022/23, supported by the ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’.

Cancer: Screening

Nicola Richards: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on the NHS Long Term Plan ambition to diagnose 75 per cent of cancers at an early stage by 2028.

Helen Whately: NHS Digital’s latest available data shows that 55% of stageable cancers were diagnosed in stage 1 or 2 in the 2019 calendar year.

Ovarian Cancer

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure (a) GPs and (b) patients are aware of the (i) warning signs and (ii) symptoms of ovarian cancer.

Helen Whately: In April 2020, NHS England introduced the early cancer diagnosis service specification for Primary Care Networks to review the quality of referrals. NHS England is also embedding clinical decision support tools for cancer within general practice and online and in-person cancer education programmes are available, include specific courses on ovarian cancer. The current ‘Help Us Help You’ campaign is raising awareness of abdominal and urological symptoms, which addresses symptoms of ovarian cancer.

Brain Cancer: Nurses

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment tools he has put in place to analyse the impact on brain cancer sufferers of not having access to a clinical nurse specialist.

Helen Whately: There are no specific assessment tools in place. However, the NHS Long Term Plan stated that all patients will have access to the right expertise and support, including a clinical nurse specialist or other support worker. The 2021 Cancer Patient Experience Survey showed that 90.4% of patients with brain cancer reported that they had a primary contact who would support them through their treatment, with 84.5% reporting that this contact was a specialist nurse.

Dementia: Social Services

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help local authorities commission a range of services for people living with dementia.

Helen Whately: The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable high-quality care and support services to meet the needs of the local population, including people living with dementia.The Local Government Finance Settlement for 2022/23 makes an additional £3.7 billion available to councils.

Dementia: Health Services

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 31 October to Question 65828 on Dementia: Health Services, what steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) quality and (b) quantity of dementia care plan annual reviews.

Helen Whately: ‘NHS England Dementia: Good Personalised Care and Support Planning Information for primary care providers and commissioners’ sets out how personalised care and support planning should be undertaken consistently and reliably and offers a quality assurance framework to ensure care planning is responsive to needs and preferences.

Radiotherapy

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to improve access to radiotherapy.

Helen Whately: In 2019/20, 11 radiotherapy networks were established in England in 2019/20 to increase access to specialist skills and improve patient outcomes. Since 2016, over £160 million has been invested in radiotherapy equipment, which has replaced or upgraded approximately 100 radiotherapy treatment machines.

Dementia: Health Services

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 31 October to Question 65828 on Dementia: Health Services, what proportion of people with a diagnosis of dementia in England received an annual care plan review in each of the last five years.

Helen Whately: The following table shows the proportion of people with a diagnosis of dementia in England who received a care plan or care plan review in each of the last five years.2018201920202021202262.10%62.69%55.81%38.87%46.00%

Incontinence: Health Services

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve continence services through the National Bladder and Bowel Health Project.

Helen Whately: The Project’s objectives are to improve continence care and to further research and implement recommendations from ‘Excellence in Continence Care’, published in 2018. The Project will meet in December to evaluate progress on bladder and bowel pathways and to consider next steps.

Breast Cancer: Screening

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make a comparative assessment of the levels of breast screening in the most and least deprived areas of England on (a) 1 March 2022 and (b) on 11 November 2022.

Helen Whately: There are no plans to make a specific assessment. However, breast screening coverage is monitored in order to plan interventions to improve uptake rates and address health inequalities.

Diabetes: Portsmouth South

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were diagnosed with diabetes in Portsmouth South constituency in each of the last five years.

Helen Whately: The following table shows the number of people diagnosed with diabetes in Portsmouth South constituency in each year from 2016 to 2020, by diabetes type. Type 1Type 2 and other201625360201720370201820340201920415202025450 Source: National Diabetes Audit (NDA)Notes:A person may have more than one diabetes diagnosis within the NDA. In this case, an algorithm is used to derive the best diagnosis date and diabetes type for each person.Disclosure control has been applied to all figures, as per the NDA publication – all numbers are rounded to the nearest 5, unless the number is 1 to 7, in which case it is rounded to ‘5’.Diabetes type is reported as ‘type 1’ and ‘type 2 and other’ within the NDA. ‘Type 1’ includes where a person is recorded as having type 1 diabetes in the NDA. ‘Type 2 and other’ includes where a person is recorded as having type 2 diabetes, Maturity-onset Diabetes of the Young, other or non-specified diabetes in the NDA.

Food: Advertising

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether it is still his policy that the restrictions banning adverts of products high in fat, salt or sugar on television before 9.00pm and paid-for adverts online will come into force January 2024.

Neil O'Brien: In May we announced the introduction of restrictions to advertise less healthy products would be delayed by 12 months until 1 January 2024. Secondary legislation is required to enact this delay and further information will be available in due course.

Care Homes: Portsmouth South

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of care homes were rated as good by the Care Quality Commission in Portsmouth South constituency as of 10 November 2022.

Helen Whately: As of 10 November, 19 or 73.1% of care homes in Portsmouth South were rated as ‘good’ overall by the Care Quality Commission.

Malnutrition

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that clinicians are encouraged to undertake malnutrition assessments in line with NICE guidelines.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the number of people who have been screened for malnutrition in England in each of the last 10 years.

Neil O'Brien: Information on screening for malnutrition is not held centrally. Local health and care providers are responsible for malnutrition services based on the needs of the local population. Integrated care boards coordinate and commission health and care services to improve population health and reduce inequalities. There are tools and guidance in place through a range of organisations, including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to assist health and social care professionals identify and treat malnutrition, and to access appropriate training.

Cancer: Radiotherapy

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the 10-year Cancer Plan will include strategies to improve access to radiotherapy cancer treatments.

Helen Whately: Following a call for evidence for a new cancer plan held earlier this year, we are considering over 5,000 responses received.

Department for Education

Members: Correspondence

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to respond to the letter of 11 November 2022 from the hon. Member for Sefton Central on funding for schools in Sefton Central constituency.

Nick Gibb: The Cabinet Office minimum target is for Departments to reply to 95% of correspondence within 20 working days. The Department and its Ministers understand the importance of providing timely responses to correspondence, and have set an internal target for responding to MP correspondence within 18 working days. A response to the hon. Member’s letter will be sent by 7 December 2022 at the latest.

Education: Finance

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of allocating additional funding for education providers to deliver hardship funds, in the context of the cost-of-living crisis.

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support students with the cost-of-living crisis.

Robert Halfon: The government recognises the additional cost of living pressures that have arisen this year and that have impacted students. Many higher education providers have hardship funds that students can apply to for assistance.There is £261 million of student premium funding available this academic year to support disadvantaged students who need additional help. The department is with the Office for Students to ensure universities support students in hardship using both hardship funds and drawing on the student premium.In addition, all households will save on their energy bills through the Energy Price Guarantee and the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme discount. Students who buy their energy from a domestic supplier are eligible for the energy bills discount. The Energy Prices Bill introduced on 12 October 2022 includes the provision to require landlords to pass benefits they receive from energy price support, as appropriate, onto end users. Further details of the requirements under this legislation will be set out in regulations.

Sixth Form Colleges: Sefton Central

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding for sixth forms in Sefton Central constituency.

Robert Halfon: The department is committed to investing in 16-19 education to ensure every young person has access to an excellent education.The 2021 Spending Review settlement will provide an extra £1.6 billion for 16-19 education in the 2024/25 financial year compared with the 2021/22 financial year. This is the biggest increase in 16-19 funding in a decade, which will help to fund the additional students anticipated in the system, 40 extra hours per student, and an affordable increase in funding rates per 16-19 student.The funding system for 16-19 education is used to calculate the funding for all students in this phase whether in school sixth forms, further education colleges, sixth form colleges or other providers. The department expects to publish the 2023/2024 academic year funding rates for 16-19 education later this autumn.

Large Goods Vehicle Drivers: Training

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of extending the HGV Skills bootcamp programme beyond 2023, to alleviate the shortage of HGV drivers.

Robert Halfon: Skills Bootcamps in HGV driving provide more opportunities for people to train as a HGV driver, gain their HGV driving licence and launch new careers in the sector, helping to alleviate the HGV driver shortage.  Since the launch in December 2021, the suppliers contracted to deliver Skills Bootcamps in HGV driving have seen high demand for places.The department is investing up to £34 million to create up to 11,000 HGV driver training places for people that are new, returning to, or looking to upskill as an HGV driver. We have listened to HGV driver training companies and have confirmed that the new drivers can be trained between December 2021 and end of March 2023.The department is currently reviewing HGV delivery, and more detail on the future availability of Skills Bootcamps in HGV driving will be announced in due course.

Carers' Benefits

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the independent review of children’s social care final report, published in May 2022, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of providing kinship carers with (a) paid time off work when a child starts living with them and (b) financial allowances at the same rate as foster carers.

Claire Coutinho: The department recognises the invaluable and important role that kinship carers play in their kin children’s lives. The recently published Independent Review of Children’s Social Care set out recommendations on how the government can better support kinship families.The department is now considering how to take these recommendations forward, including the recommendations to create a financial allowance and a new paid parental leave entitlement for kinship carers.The department is working on an ambitious and comprehensive response to the recommendations in the review.

Pre-school Education: Food

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing sensory food play as a part of the Early Years Foundation Stage for early years nutrition.

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to introduce sensory food play in nurseries as part of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework.

Claire Coutinho: The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards that all early years providers must meet for the learning, development and care of children from birth to age five.The department has published an article promoting sensory food education on the ‘Help for early years providers’ online platform, which is a resource for childminders, nursery leaders and pre-school practitioners. This supports practitioners to look at incorporating sensory food education into their practice, while delivering the statutory EYFS requirements. The sensory food education article can be found here: https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/get-help-to-improve-your-practice/sensory-food-education.

Supply Teachers: Pay and Workplace Pensions

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to protect supply teacher salaries and pensions.

Nick Gibb: Schools are free to recruit supply teachers, and most schools use supply agencies. The Department has a commercial framework which schools can use to recruit supply teachers, and 118 supply agencies have registered.All agencies on the framework must be transparent about the fees they charge to schools and waive some additional fees.In addition, supply teachers have a number of statutory rights, including entitlement to equal treatment as someone doing the same role and employed directly after 12 weeks, statutory entitlement to holiday pay, employment rights (such as the national minimum wages and sick pay), and access to workplace pensions.

Ministry of Justice

Life Imprisonment: Costs

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of whole-life order sentences.

Edward Argar: A whole life order (WLO) is the most severe form of sentence that the courts can impose and is used to ensure the most serious cases of murder are properly punished and to guarantee public safety.As of September 2022, 64 offenders were serving WLOs. Due to the risk posed by these offenders, they are generally held with other high-risk offenders at higher security establishments, where the average cost per offender is £73,085 and £74,236 for males and females respectively per year.This means that the cost of all offenders currently serving WLOs is in the region of £4.7m per year.

Wandsworth Prison: Water Supply

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether Wandsworth Prison had an adequate water supply on 9 November 2022.

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many days over the last 12 months has Wandsworth Prison not had an adequate water supply.

Damian Hinds: On 3 November, HMP Wandsworth reported disruption to their water supply across the prison. Contact was made with Thames Water who confirmed that there was a pipe leak in the Roehampton area which had disrupted water supply to the prison. Thames Water advised that the issue should be resolved within an hour. As a result of this, the prison implemented a restriction on access to showers and provided water to enable flushing of toilets.Thames Water provided bottled water to affected areas, including the prison. On 9 November, the burst pipe was reported to be fixed but a period of time was required to ensure the safety of water supply when it was turned on.The water supply to the prison was disrupted for a total of 8 days. The disruption lasted until 10 November when mains water was reinstated at the prison.There have been no other water supply issues reported at HMP Wandsworth in the last 12 months.

Ministry of Justice: Disclosure of Information

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) non-disclosure and (b) other confidentiality agreements relating to (i) employment, (ii) bullying, (iii) misconduct and (iii) harassment cases have been agreed by his Department in each year since 1 January 2010; and how much money from the public purse has been spent on (a) legal costs and (b) financial settlements for such agreements in each year since 1 January 2010.

Mike Freer: This information requested is not held centrally.Cabinet Office guidance on settlement agreements, special severance payments on termination of employment and confidentiality clauses can be found here: Civil Service settlement agreements, special severance payments and confidentiality clauses - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Ministry of Justice: Art Works and Catering

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answers of 8 November to Questions 74851 on Ministry of Justice: Art Works and 74852 on Ministry of Justice: Catering, for what reason his Department does not hold central financial records of artwork or catering at functions.

Mike Freer: Departmental spend on art works and catering at functions is infrequent and generally of low value, and as such spend on these matters is not separately recorded. Expenditure on catering at functions is not recorded separately from other catering such as catering in prison establishments. The department does operate spending controls over catering for meetings. They specify that catering should only be provided in exceptional circumstances and require authorisation by a senior civil servant.Similarly, expenditure on artwork is not separately recorded due to the infrequent nature of any expenditure. In reviewing information in order to reach a conclusion on Question 74851, no spend on artworks had been capitalised in the last five years. It is possible that low values of spend have been made which did not meet the capitalisation threshold of £10,000, but which cannot be individually identified.As a result, reviewing detailed transactional records to identify expenditure in these areas would incur a disproportionate cost.

Ministry of Justice: Coronavirus

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many employees in his Department work on matters related to covid-19.

Mike Freer: The Ministry of Justice does not hold centrally a figure for how many employees in the department work on matters related to COVID-19. However, I can confirm that there are currently 12.7 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) employees working on the department’s response to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry.There is also a network of Single Points of Contact (SPOCs) and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) across the department. They assist with the preparation for the response to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry alongside other roles and responsibilities.

Criminal Proceedings: Racial Discrimination

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to tackle racial disproportionality in the criminal justice system.

Mike Freer: Everyone has a right to be confident that the justice system is there to protect them. We are committed to identifying and addressing these disparities wherever we find them.Our commitment to tackling race and ethnic disparity is clear, as set out in the Government’s Inclusive Britain strategy, published in March 2022. This strategy was in response to the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities and identifies clear actions for criminal justice agencies to undertake. These actions include work to reduce the numbers of people from ethnic minority backgrounds entering the criminal justice system. For example by expanding the use of diversionary initiatives, such as Out of Court Disposals to divert towards treatment or drug education courses to address the root causes of their offending behaviour. We are also working to improve outcomes for those already in the system, by providing funding for grassroots, ethnic-minority led and specialist voluntary sector organisations to provide rehabilitative services in order to reduce reoffending rates and improve education and employment opportunities. Finally, we are improving judicial diversity through providing additional support to potentially eligible candidates, as part of the Judicial Diversity Forum action plan.

Legal Aid Scheme

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Impact Assessment for his Department's consultation on the Criminal Legal Aid Review: An accelerated package of measures amending the criminal legal aid fee schemes, published in August 2020, how much and what proportion of the funding set out in that impact assessment has been spent (a) on each item by (i) litigators and (ii) advocates in the period since September 2021; how much and what proportion of the funding is yet to be spent; and if he will make a comparative assessment of the level of funding that was (a) set out in that impact assessment and (b) spent in the same period.

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the consultation on the Criminal Legal Aid Review: An accelerated package of measures amending the criminal legal aid fee schemes, published in February 2020, how much was budgeted for the pre-charge engagement fee; and how much and what proportion of this funding has been spent by (a) litigators and (b) advocates as of 14 November 2022.

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the consultation on the Criminal Legal Aid Review: An accelerated package of measures amending the criminal legal aid fee schemes, published in February 2020, how much was budgeted for unused material; and how much and what proportion of that funding has been spent as of 14 November 2022.

Mike Freer: In relation to the Ministry of Justice’s consultation on Criminal Legal Aid Review: An accelerated package of measures amending the criminal legal aid fee schemes, the associated Impact Assessment and a breakdown of the expenditure are published online and can be found online at:Impact Assessment: Criminal Legal Aid Review: an accelerated package of measures amending the criminal legal aid fee schemes (publishing.service.gov.uk).Breakdown of expenditure: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1107342/legal-aid-statistics-clar-apr-jun-2022.ods.In relation to pre-charge engagement, £9,000 was spent in 2021-22. The Impact Assessment relating to the Ministry of Justice’s consultation on Criminal Legal Aid: Renumeration of pre-charge engagement and information on pre-charge engagement spend are also published online and can be found at:Impact Assessment: Impact Assessment template (publishing.service.gov.uk).Pre-charge engagement spend: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1107333/legal-aid-statistics-tables-apr-jun-2022.ods.

Bill of Rights Bill

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with the Leader of the House on the timing of the second reading of the Bill of Rights Bill.

Mike Freer: The Deputy Prime Minister has met with the Leader of the House of Commons, in the course of his duties to discuss all Parliamentary Business for the Ministry of Justice. Business in the House will be announced in the usual way through Business Statements by the Leader of the House of Commons and the Bill of Rights is poised to return to the House for its Second Reading as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

Convictions

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were found guilty of (a) rape, (b) abduction and (c) murder in (i) 2022, (ii) 2021, (iii) 2020, (iv) 2019 and (v) 2018.

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were found guilty of stalking involving fear or violence in each of the last five years.

Edward Argar: The Ministry of Justice publishes information on the number of defendants prosecuted, convicted and sentenced, for the years 2017-2021, in the Outcomes by Offence data tool 2021.PQ 82323Navigate the ‘Prosecutions and Convictions’ tab and use the Offence filter to select the applicable offences:Rape:- 19C Rape of a female aged 16 or over- 19D Rape of a female aged under 16- 19E Rape of a female child under 13 by a male- 19F Rape of a male aged 16 or over- 19G Rape of a male aged under 16- 19H Rape of a male child under 13 by a maleAbduction:- 13 Child abduction- 25 Abduction of a femaleMurder:- 1 MurderFigures for the calendar year 2022 will be published in May 2023.PQ 82325Navigate to the ‘Prosecutions and Convictions’ tab and use the HO offence code filter to select both of the following:- 00858 - Racially or religiously aggravated stalking with fear of violence- 00865 - Stalking involving fear of violence

Rape: Prisoners' Release

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people convicted of rape were released from prison within (a) one year, (b) two years and (c) three years of sentencing in 2022.

Edward Argar: The table below shows how many people convicted of Rape were released from prison within (a) one year, (b) two years and (c) three years of sentencing in the first six months of 2022, the latest available data. In total, fewer than 45 people were released within three years of sentencing, compared to 345 during the same period who were released more than three years after being sentenced.Released up to 1 year after sentencingReleased more than 1 year and up to 2 years after sentencingReleased more than 2 years and up to 3 years after sentencing*1328An asterisk (*) has been used to suppress values of two or less. This is to prevent the disclosure of individual information. Further disclosure control may be completed where this alone is not sufficient.

Ministry of Justice: Charter Flights

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much his Department spent on chartered flights for (a) ministers, (b) civil servants and (c) prisoners in (i) 2022 and (ii) since 2010.

Mike Freer: The answer given to the question on 4 November 2022 provided the spend on commercial flights by the MOJ, rather than the cost specifically of private charter flights. The MOJ does not monitor spend on private charter flights, because a very low volume of private charter flights are used. To provide an answer to the cost of private charter flights since 2010 would incur a disproportionate cost. Information for charter flights used by ministers during 2022 has been provided below. Private charter flights are occasionally used for prisoner repatriations and for travel by ministers and senior civil servants when suitable commercial flights are not available. In respect of the use of charter flights for ministers, during 2022, one private charter flight was used by the Deputy Prime Minister and nine officials for return travel to the Hague at a cost of £22,895. This was disclosed in transparency data at the time.

Treasury

Customs Declaration Services Programme

Dame Meg Hillier: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many businesses registered for CHIEF have yet to register for the Customs Declaration Service.

Dame Meg Hillier: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many businesses have applied to extend their use of CHIEF and have yet to register for the Customs Declaration Service.

Victoria Atkins: 4,727 businesses made import declarations on CHIEF in 2021. As of week, commencing 7 November 2022, 3,440 businesses are using the full service on the Customs Declaration Service (CDS), with over 86% of import declarations now being made on CDS. 1,287 businesses have yet to subscribe to CDS. 1,231 businesses are in the Trader Dress Rehearsal, which allows businesses to practice making declarations in CDS. Out of 1,653 businesses that applied for an extension to use CHIEF until 31 October 2022, 263 are yet to subscribe to CDS.Out of 2,485 businesses that applied for an extension to use CHIEF beyond 31 October 2022, 470 are yet to subscribe to CDS.As of 16 November 2022, c600 businesses have a valid extension to use CHIEF to allow them to complete training or because of issues with their third-party software. HMRC is working with these third-party software providers to resolve their issues and is tracking their progress.

Treasury: Coronavirus

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many employees in his Department work on matters related to covid-19.

James Cartlidge: HMT takes a flexible and dynamic approach to resourcing in order to meet Government priorities. Many staff working on matters related to COVID-19 do so alongside its other policy priorities. We do not routinely record the number of full time equivalent civil servants who work on individual policy initiatives. As at end March 2022, HM Treasury had 2,045 paid full time equivalent staff https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1092103/HMT_Annual_Report_and_Accounts_2021-22.pdf

Treasury: Redundancy

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he (a) has or (b) is planning a voluntary exit programme for civil servants in his Department.

James Cartlidge: HM Treasury currently has no live voluntary exit schemes. Voluntary exit schemes are a commonly used workforce management process available to departments based on their specific workforce needs.

Horizon Europe

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to ringfence funding allocated to Horizon Europe for alternative programmes in the event of the UK no longer being a participant in that programme.

John Glen: Consistent with the sector’s preference to associate to EU R&D programmes, the Government and set aside funding for association at Spending Review 2021 and has continued negotiations with the EU, while ensuring the sector is supported by funding the Horizon Guarantee. If the EU does not formalise the UK’s association soon, we will ensure that the UK’s science superpower and innovation nation ambitions are supported by putting in place an ambitious alternative, funded from the budget we set aside for our association to these programmes.

Question

Kim Johnson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of (a) a reduction in public expenditure and (b) the cost of living crisis on children in food poverty.

John Glen: The Chancellor makes regular assessments on the impact of public expenditure on services and policies in the UK. At the Autumn Statement, the Chancellor has taken a responsible and disciplined approach to spending whilst prioritising vital public services and the most vulnerable. Over the Spending Review period, overall departmental spending will continue to grow after inflation. This includes an additional [£2.3bn] of funding in 2023-24 and [£2.3bn] in 2024-25 for schools. The Government also understands that people across the UK are worried about the rising cost of food, which is why we remain committed to supporting children including through:£1bn annually to deliver Free School Meals to pupils in schools;Over £200m a year on the Holiday Activities and Food programme, which provides healthy meals and holiday club places to children from low-income families; and£24m over two years for the national school breakfast programme which is benefiting over 2000 schools across the country. This Government has also announced £37bn of support for cost of living this financial year, including a Cost of Living payment of £650 to households on means-tested benefits, with extra support for pensioners and those claiming disability benefits, and £500m to continue the Household Support Fund for a further 6 months, to allow Local Authorities to help the most in need.

State Retirement Pensions: Uprating

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential economic benefits of maintaining the pension triple lock.

John Glen: The Government is committed to ensuring that older people are able to live with the dignity and respect they deserve, and the State Pension is the foundation of state support for older people. Following the conclusion of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions’ annual uprating review, the Chancellor has announced in the Autumn Statement that the Government will uprate the State Pension by inflation at 10.1% on 10 April 2023. This is in line with the commitment to keep the triple lock. Supporting people in retirement after they have worked hard all of their lives is important, especially as pensioners cannot easily increase or supplement their incomes.

Food Poverty

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps he will take to help ensure that households are not reliant on food banks.

John Glen: The government understands that people across the UK are worried about the cost of living, and are seeing their disposable incomes decrease as they spend more on the essentials. That is why the government has announced £37 billion of support for the cost of living this financial year. We have taken decisive action to support millions of households and business with rising energy costs this winter through the Energy Price Guarantee and the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. In addition to the Energy Price Guarantee, millions of the most vulnerable households will receive £1200 of support this year through the £400 EBSS, £150 Council Tax rebate and one-off £650 Cost of Living Payment for those on means-tested benefits, with additional support for pensioners and those claiming disability benefits.

Research: Finance

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the UK Research and Development Roadmap, published in July 2020, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of publishing a plan for funding research and development spending up to 2027.

John Glen: The government publishes plans for funding research and development in multi-year spending reviews. The 2021 Spending Review published plans for the period 2022/23 to 24/25. Future Spending Reviews will cover years beyond that.

Unemployment: National Income

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of economic inactivity on national GDP.

Andrew Griffith: In the Autumn Statement on 17 November, the Chancellor set out to the House the Office for Budget Responsibility’s latest economic forecasts. These include forecasts for GDP and take into account recent data on the labour market.

Banks: Finance

Dan Carden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the amount of public funds that commercial banks will receive as a result of expected interest rate increases in the next 12 months; and what assessment he has made of the impact of that on his policies.

Andrew Griffith: The Bank transmits Bank Rate to the economy in part through the remuneration and supply of central bank reserves. Much of these reserves have funded asset purchases made by the Asset Purchase Facility (APF), which is a Bank of England facility, principally used as the vehicle for Quantitative Easing, which is a monetary policy tool used by the independent Monetary Policy Committee.The reserves created to implement this tool pay Bank Rate to institutions holding these reserves, particularly commercial banks. HM Treasury agreed to indemnify the Asset Purchase Facility against any profits or losses when it was set up in 2009.

German Property Group: Compensation

Anna McMorrin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to establish a compensation package for people affected by the Dolphin Trust scheme.

Andrew Griffith: The UK regulatory agencies are aware of the bankruptcy of German Property Group (GPG), formerly known as Dolphin Trust, and the effect on UK-based investors. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a joint statement with the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) and the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The statement sets out what UK consumers should do if they invested in GPG via an FCA authorised firm – either a financial adviser firm or a Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPP) operator – and they believe they were mis-sold. This includes how to complain to the FOS or submit a claim to the FSCS. The statement can be accessed on the FCA’s website: https://www.fca.org.uk/news/statements/gpg-companies-preliminary-bankruptcy-proceedings.  Some consumers will not have invested in GPG via a regulated financial adviser or a SIPP operator. GPG is incorporated in Germany and is not, nor has ever been an FCA-authorised firm. Unfortunately, in these cases, customers will not have recourse to the FOS or the FSCS.

Poverty: Children

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps he will take to help take children out of relative and absolute poverty.

John Glen: The Government has consistently said that the best way to support families’ living standards is through good work, better skills, and higher wages. This is why, at Autumn Statement 2022, the Government announced it will bring forward the nationwide rollout of the In-Work Progression offer, from September 2023. This will mean that over 600,000 Universal Credit (UC) claimants in-work will meet with a dedicated work coach so that they have support to increase their hours or earnings and become financially independent from UC. This is in addition to the Government’s existing, comprehensive package of labour market support, worth over £6 billion, to help people into work and develop the skills they need for the modern workforce. From 1 April 2023, the National Living Wage (NLW) will increase by 9.7% to £10.42 an hour for workers aged 23 and over, in line with the government’s ambitious target for the NLW to reach two-thirds of median earnings by 2024, and for the age threshold to be lowered to those aged 21 and over. This represents an increase of over £1,600 to the annual earnings of a full-time worker on the NLW and is expected to benefit over 2 million low paid workers. The Government also provides a range of support for low-income families with children, including over £200 million per year for the Holiday Activities and Food programme, which provides healthy food and enriching activities for children from low-income families in England during the school holidays. The government also spends around £1 billion annually on delivering free meals to pupils in schools. More broadly, the Government has taken decisive action to support millions of households with rising energy costs. As announced at Autumn Statement, the Government is providing households on means-tested benefits with an additional £900 Cost of Living Payment in 2023-24 with additional payments for pensioners and those on disability benefits. The government will also provide an additional £1 billion to enable a further twelve-month extension to the Household Support Fund, as well as continued universal support via the Energy Price Guarantee, saving the average household £500 over 2023-24. To protect the most vulnerable in society, the government will also increase benefits by September CPI (10.1%) from April 2023.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Russia: Armed Forces

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with international counterparts on former Afghan special forces being recruited by the Russian military.

Leo Docherty: We are aware of media reports on Russia's recruitment of former Afghan forces, possibly for their deployment as mercenary forces in the Ukraine conflict. As Russia continues to experience battlefield setbacks in Ukraine, it has exposed the limitations of using large numbers of inexperienced and poorly equipped conscripts. As a result the Kremlin is increasingly prepared to deploy mercenary forces. We continue to work closely with our international partners to counter Russian malign activity, including its use of mercenaries, and respond to actions that undermine the rules based international system.

Academic Technology Approval Scheme

Joanna Cherry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many Academic Technology Approval Scheme applications were made in each month since May 2021; how many of those applications were processed in less than (a) twenty and (b) thirty days; and what the longest time taken to process an application made was in each month.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK takes its responsibility towards countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and advanced conventional military technology seriously. The Academic Technology Approval Scheme is a thorough, necessary and proportionate tool to protect UK research from misappropriation and divergence to military programmes of concern. Between May and October, the scheme received over 30,000 applications. The majority of applications are processed within published timescales. We continue to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the scheme and a planned IT upgrade should provide greater data analysis capability by summer 2023.

Nnamdi Kanu

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Government of Nigeria on Nnamdi Kanu; and what steps it is taking to help ensure his (a) safety and wellbeing and (b) access to (i) medical, (ii) legal and (iii) consular assistance.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Ministers and officials have raised Mr Kanu's case with the Nigerian authorities on multiple occasions, including former Prime Minister Boris Johnson raising it with President Buhari in June 2022 at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. The former Minister for Africa recently raised Mr Kanu's case with Foreign Minister Onyeama, on 24 October. The UK Government continues to provide consular assistance and consular officials have visited Mr Kanu on four occasions, most recently on 25 October. We are in contact with both the Nigerian and Kenyan authorities, Mr Kanu's family and his legal representatives and have raised a number of issues on his behalf with the Nigerian authorities including the circumstances around his arrest, his treatment in detention, welfare and access to appropriate medical care.

Development Aid

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when the cost of assisting refugees within the UK is removed, what proportion of the UK's Gross National Income is spent on Official Development Assistance.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The latest data available is the provisional data for 2021 UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) (see table 1). Final figures for 2021 UK ODA spend will be published on 23rd November 2022. Provisional and final official UK ODA spend data for 2022 will be published as normal in the Spring and Autumn of 2023 respectively.Table 1. UK (Gross National Income) GNI estimates, UK Net ODA and ODA: GNI ratios including and excluding refugees in donor countries; 2021UK GNI£millionTotal UK ODA£millionRefugees in Donor Countries (IDRC)£millionODA/GNI%ODA/GNI excl. IDRC%2,305,14211,4968980.500.46Source:Statistics on International Development, Provisional UK Aid Spend 2021https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistics-on-international-development-provisional-uk-aid-spend-2021OECD DAC: ODA Levels in 2021- Preliminary datahttps://www.oecd.org/dac/financing-sustainable-development/development-finance-standards/ODA-2021-summary.pdf

Uganda: Ebola

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) trajectory and (b) risks of the Ebola outbreak in Uganda.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: On 20 September, the Government of Uganda confirmed an outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in Mubende District, central Uganda. As of 11 November, there were 137 confirmed cases and 53 confirmed deaths, including 17 cases and 2 deaths in Kampala. This is one of the 10 largest Ebola outbreaks recorded globally and Uganda's 2nd largest. The UK Health Security Agency continues to assess the risk of this outbreak to the UK public as very low, and the risk to UK nationals working in Ebola-affected areas as low. Travel Advice advises against all but essential travel to Mubende. It is regularly updated and kept under constant review.

Tigray: Peace Negotiations

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the progress of the African Union’s peace initiative for the conflict in the Tigray region of Ethiopia.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK welcomes the important step towards peace taken by the Ethiopian Government and Tigray People's Liberation Front in signing a cessation of hostilities on 2 November, and commends their choice to end the devastating two-year-long conflict.We are grateful to the leadership shown in brokering this critical agreement by African Union Commission Chairperson Faki, African Union High Representative to the Horn of Africa Obasanjo, former South African Deputy President Mlambo-Ngcuka, former Kenyan President Kenyatta, and the South African Government in hosting the talks.

Taskforce on Access to Climate Finance

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of progress of the Taskforce on Access to Climate Finance pilots in (a) Uganda, (b) Bangladesh and (c) Fiji.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: There has been strong progress across the five Taskforce pioneer countries.In Uganda, the UK has provided the anchor investment for a new Climate Finance Unit within the Ministry of Finance to coordinate national climate finance policy. In Bangladesh, technical expertise to support the Government to implement the trial will commence in early 2023. In Fiji, the Government has established a strategic framework for the trial linked to its National Adaptation Plan, Ocean Policy and Climate Finance Strategy. Technical assistance to support delivery of the trial will commence in early 2023.

Afghanistan: Development Aid

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has taken recent steps to resume development assistance to Afghanistan.

Leo Docherty: The UK has played a leading role in the release of the almost $2 billion funds held within the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund and Asian Development Bank to support the Afghan people. We have led international conversations on support within the education and livelihoods sectors and are working closely with international partners on future engagement in Afghanistan. We have committed £286 million in aid to Afghanistan this financial year (2022/23), matching the previous year's commitment. Our aid includes support to the UN's Humanitarian Appeal, to UN Agencies such as WFP and UNICEF and NGOs including AfghanAid and the International Rescue Committee. Our aid is providing life-saving support to the most vulnerable, especially women and girls.

Developing Countries: Climate Change

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make it his policy to take steps to compel UK based oil and gas companies to make payments to developing countries to compensate them for the impact of climate change.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The Foreign Secretary has no formal jurisdiction over UK based oil and gas companies, which is held by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The UK recognises that more needs to be done to help countries avert, minimise and address the loss and damage they are facing. On 7 November the UK announced £5 million in funding to support the set up and development of the Santiago Network for Loss and Damage, a platform for providing technical assistance for action on loss and damage for developing countries.

Humanitarian Aid: Finance

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the £1.5 billion increase in the UK's climate finance pledge will result in a reduction of spending on international humanitarian programming.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Many countries with the highest levels of humanitarian need are also among those most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Our adaptation funding, including the £1.5 billion in 2025 announced at COP27, will include activities to prepare for and respond to climate-linked disasters and tackle food and water insecurity, helping to build the resilience of communities and reduce humanitarian needs over time.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 November 2022 to Question 75786 on Armed Forces: Housing, if he will provide a regional breakdown of the figures provided.

Alex Chalk: The table below shows a count of Service personnel who have occupied Permanent Single Living Accommodation (SLA) which incurred no rental charge as the accommodation was categorised below grade 4. The table has been broken down by Region as recorded on JPA. Please note - Service personnel can occupy more than one SLA in a calendar year.Calendar YearRegion20182019202020212022 to dateAberdeenshire~~~1010Angus1010306050Antrim1010101010Argyll1010102020Armagh~Avon1010101010Ayrshire~~1010~Banffshire~~~~~Bedfordshire1020101010Berkshire4020605040Berwickshire~~Buckinghamshire4060506080Caithness~~Cambridgeshire5010202020Cheshire2030202030Clackmannanshire~~~Cleveland1010101010Clwyd~~~~10Cornwall9090605050County Antrim~~~10~County Armagh~County Down~~10~~County Durham~10101010County Fermanagh~County Londonderry~~County Tyrone~~Cumbria1010101020Derbyshire1010102010Devon200340420320280Dorset110130170120110Down~~~~~Dumfriesshire~~~~~Dunbartonshire1010101010Durham1010102010Dyfed10101010~East Lothian~~~East Sussex1010~1010East Yorkshire1020102060Essex2040606050Fife1010102020Gloucestershire4030303020Greater London1010302010Greater Manchester~~~1020Gwent1010101010Gwynedd~~~~Hampshire430420480460360Herefordshire2010101010Hertfordshire1010101010Highland~~Humberside~~Inverness-Shire805030~~Isle of Man~~~Isle of Skye~Isle of Wight~~10~Kent3040405030Kincardineshire~~Kirkcudbrightshire~~~~~Lanarkshire1010102010Lancashire4040305040Leicestershire1020102020Lincolnshire120701307060Londonderry~~Lothian~~~Merseyside2020203020Mid Glamorgan1010101020Middlesex1010101010Midlothian1010~~~Moray~10101010Morayshire~~~10~Norfolk304020160200North Humberside~~~~~North Yorkshire10070200260310Northamptonshire1010101010Northumberland1010101010Nottinghamshire1010202010Oxfordshire510540470370320Perthshire~~Powys~~~1020Renfrewshire10~~~~Roxburghshire~Rutland104030160180Shetland~~Shropshire4020204030Somerset520540530490400South Glamorgan2030506060South Humberside~~~~~South Yorkshire2010102020Staffordshire2030304020Stirling~Stirlingshire~~~~~Strathclyde~~~Suffolk90260170110100Surrey4601607010070Sutherland~Tayside~~~Tyne and Wear2020202010Tyrone~Warwickshire5010101010West Glamorgan10~~1010West Lothian~~1010~West Midlands9080403040West Sussex1010201030West Yorkshire2020203030Western Isles~Wigtownshire~~~~~Wiltshire1207060130140Worcestershire1010101010Overseas100100404030Not recorded1,1001,1601,3201,1801,100Grand Total4,5604,5304,6904,6704,410This information was extracted from the Joint Personnel Administration MI System on 15 November 2022.All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10, numbers ending in 5 are rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.~ denotes 5 or fewer.

Ministry of Defence: Coronavirus

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many employees in his Department work on matters related to covid-19.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Ministry of Defence personnel working on COVID-19 do so primarily as 'business as usual' as part of broader responsibilities. For example, teams that consider the Defence contribution to UK resilience consider issues such as COVID-19 as part of their work on pandemics more broadly. Furthermore, business continuity, health and safety, and Defence Medical Services teams across all parts of Defence continue to manage risks from COVID proactively alongside other communicable disease risks to workplaces or operations. For roles that are predominantly focussed on COVID-19, there are currently five personnel working in the Department - one on policy, two supporting the Public Inquiry, and two involved in logistics and distribution of COVID-19 related supplies (including Lateral Flow Testing Kits to Defence personnel overseas when deployments or Host Nations require them).

Forces Help to Buy Scheme

Peter Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to extend the Forces Help to Buy scheme beyond 31 December 2022.

Peter Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had discussions with relevant stakeholders on bringing forward a replacement to the Forces Help to Buy scheme after its end date of 31 December 2022.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Forces Help to Buy (FHTB) scheme was set up in 2014 to provide Service personnel with the opportunity to purchase a property for immediate occupation, creating a stable environment regardless of assignment and reducing the challenge presented by an inherently mobile career. The Ministry of Defence recognises that FHTB continues to be a popular scheme, helping more than 27,500 Service personnel to buy or extend a home. Whilst the pilot of the policy is currently due to end in December 2022, we are considering options for the future of the scheme and will update personnel and their families once decisions have been made.

Military Aid

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library a weekly breakdown of (a) the Military Aid to Civilian Authorities (MACA) requests undertaken by his Department, (b) the details of each MACA request, (c) how many personnel are deployed on each MACA request and (d) how many personnel are on standby to respond to MACA requests.

James Heappey: During the pandemic, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence offered regular updates to the House, given the scale of the military response and the national emergency we were facing. That is not, however, the normal process, and has been discontinued in the conclusion of Operation RESCRIPT. The Ministry of Defence’s Annual Report and Accounts provide an annual summary of the Military Aid to Civilian Authorities requests received by the Department.

Military Aircraft

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the Maximum on Ground is for (a) C-130J and (b) A400M aircraft

James Heappey: The term "Maximum on Ground" is used by the Royal Air Force to define the maximum number of aircraft that can be handled simultaneously at a particular airfield.This is dependent on a range of factors including but not limited to: aircraft type; the role of the aircraft; tasked load (freight and/or passengers); aircraft handling equipment; ramp space and local environmental restrictions.

Robert Swara Seurei

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department investigated the death in 2007 of Robert Swara Seurei from unexploded ordnance near Lolldaiga training area in Kenya.

James Heappey: The Department conducted an investigation immediately following the death of Mr Seurei.

Home Office: Helicopters

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the last time was that a Home Secretary utilised an RAF helicopter to fly domestically.

James Heappey: The RAF operates a small Command Support Air Transport fleet which has not been used by a Home Secretary. Joint Helicopter Command, sitting within the Army, only has accessible records dating back to 2017. In that period, there are no previous taskings solely for the Home Secretary. It is possible, however, that previous Home Secretaries may have flown on RAF helicopters with Prime Ministers or the Secretary of State for Defence.

Armed Forces: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 November 2022 to Question 75786 on Armed Forces: Housing, if he will set out how the grades for Single Living Accommodation are calculated.

Alex Chalk: Single Living Accommodation (SLA) is assessed against the 4 Tier Grading methodology which considers the scale, condition and location of the accommodation and place it into 4 grades for charge, 1 being the highest and 4 the lowest. Detailed methodology can be found in JSP 464 Vol 3 Part 1 Chapter 8 at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jsp-464-tri-service-accommodation-regulations-tsars The assessments are undertaken at unit level by a board consisting of four members and representation from the maintenance team. The grade must be reviewed every four years.

Elbit Systems UK: Navy

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much Elbit has been paid for work on Selborne.

Alex Chalk: As of 31 October 2022, Elbit Systems UK have been paid £28.603 million for their work as part of Team Fisher delivering Project Selborne.

Hercules Aircraft

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the reason for the change in the out of service date for the C-130J from March 2023 to June 2023.

Alex Chalk: Whilst the Hercules C-130J fleet will continue to drawdown, a number of the aircraft have sufficient remaining flying hours to enable an extended drawdown to 30 June 2023, maximising use of the fleet.

Defence Equipment: Procurement

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the report by the National Audit Office entitled The Equipment Plan 2021 to 2031, published on 21 February 2021, whether he has made a recent assessment of whether the £700 million which has been made available from the 2022-23 financial year for inflationary growth costs will be sufficient for this purpose.

Alex Chalk: We continue to monitor the impact of inflation on the Department's budget. Inflation remains a pressing concern for Defence, and we are taking steps to actively manage this. An updated Equipment Plan for years 2022-2032 is currently due for publication later this year.

Defence Equipment: Procurement

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the NAO report The Equipment Plan 2021 to 2031 published on 21 February, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the £700 million made available by HM Treasury to deal with inflation each year from 2022-23.

Alex Chalk: We continue to monitor the impact of inflation on the Department's budget. Inflation remains a pressing concern for Defence, and we are taking steps to actively manage this. An updated Equipment Plan for years 2022-2032 is currently due for publication later this year.

AWACS: Repairs and Maintenance

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects all three Wedgetail aircraft to have their multi-role electronically scanned array sensors fitted.

Alex Chalk: The last of the three Wedgetail aircraft is expected to have the Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array sensor fitted in 2024.

F-35 Aircraft: Supply Chains

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent estimate he has made of the total value of the F-35 programme to the UK industrial supply chain.

Alex Chalk: The Ministry of Defence estimates the value of the F-35 programme to the UK industrial supply chain to be $75 billion (US Dollars) through to 2046.

Type 23 Frigates

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the last Type 23 frigate is due to reach its out of service date.

Alex Chalk: On current plans, the last Type 23 frigate will transition out of service in 2035.

Type 26 Frigates: Contracts

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he intends to sign the contract for the second batch of Type 26 frigates.

Alex Chalk: Yesterday, at the G20 Leaders' Summit in Bali, the Prime Minister announced that the contract for the Batch 2 Type 26 Frigates has been signed.

China: Armed Forces

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to establish whether former members of a) the British Army and b) the Royal Navy have been employed in advisory roles by the armed forces of the People's Republic of China.

James Heappey: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) are not currently planning on establishing whether all former members of the military have been employed in advisory roles by the armed forces of the People’s Republic of China. By default, the Department does not track former Armed Forces personnel, where they travel to, or the roles they undertake in a private capacity after leaving the Armed Forces. However, the behaviours and actions of former UK Armed Forces personnel may become of interest to the MOD if it is reported that they or their activity poses a threat to National Security. Our Counter Intelligence capabilities have proven effective at identifying individuals who have accepted such employment and we will continue to use these Counter Intelligence capabilities rather than track all former members of the Armed Forces.

Ministry of Defence: Redundancy Pay

Christine Jardine: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to the public purse has been of Ministerial severance pay in his Department in each year since 1 January 2016.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Under the Ministerial and Other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991, eligible Ministers who leave office are entitled to a one off payment equivalent to one quarter of their annual salary at the point at which they leave Government.This applies only where a Minister is under 65 and is not appointed to a Ministerial office within three weeks of leaving Government.

Detention Centres: Manston

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to the public purse was of the Secretary of State for the Home Department's travel to and from Manston asylum processing site via a Chinook helicopter on 3 November 2022.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many armed forces personnel were required to accompany her in order for a Chinook helicopter to be used to fly her to the Manston asylum processing site on 3 November 2022.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Chinook helicopter used to transport the Secretary of State for the Home Department to the Manston asylum processing site on 3 November 2022 was diverted away from defence tasks in order to be used for that journey.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how long the journey between Dover and the Manston asylum processing site took via Chinook helicopter on 3 November 2022.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which RAF base the Chinook helicopter used to fly the Home Secretary to Manston asylum processing centre on 3 November 2022 is usually stationed at.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much fuel was used by the Chinook helicopter in transporting her to the Manston asylum processing site on 3 November 2022.

James Heappey: The Chinook flight for the Home Secretary was incorporated into a routine training sortie, for the operational crew of four personnel, based at RAF Odiham. The duration of the training sortie was three and a half hours, including the 30-minute leg to Manston, during which the Home Secretary was embarked. It is not possible to separate the costs of these legs from the wider training sortie. The Chinook was not diverted away from other defence tasks.

Department for Work and Pensions

In-work Progression Commission: Government Responses

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the Government plans to publish its response to the independent review of the In-Work Progression Commission.

Guy Opperman: The Government recognises the importance of supporting people to progress in work and welcomes Baroness McGregor-Smith’s report. We have considered her recommendations carefully and a response setting out the government’s approach to progression will be published in due course.

Universal Credit: Business

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an assessment of the economic impact of removing the £20 uplift to Universal Credit on businesses in towns and cities which have high proportions of recipients of Universal Credit.

Guy Opperman: No assessment has been made.

Universal Credit: Students

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of taking steps to improve the accessibility of Universal Credit for students, in the context of the cost-of-living crisis.

Guy Opperman: No such assessment has been made. Financial support for students comes from the system of student loans and grants designed for their needs and any ongoing assessment of that level of support is a matter for the Department of Education and the devolved administrations. Although students cannot normally satisfy the entitlement conditions for Universal Credit, exceptions are made where students have additional needs that are not met through the student support system, for example, those who are responsible for a child.

Children: Maintenance

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to abolish the four per cent collection fee charged to parents receiving regular payments through the Child Maintenance Service.

Mims Davies: There are no plans to abolish the 4% collection charge for receiving parents. This charge only applies to the Collect and Pay service and is intended to provide a parent with an incentive to use the Direct Pay service which has no ongoing fees. The collection charge for the receiving parent is deducted only when maintenance is paid, with no money owed to the Child Maintenance Service if maintenance is not paid. These charges contribute to the cost of running an expensive service, which remains subsidised by the taxpayer.

Maternity Allowance and Maternity Pay: Cost of Living

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to increase (a) maternity pay and (b) maternity allowance, in the context of the cost-of-living crisis.

Mims Davies: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is currently conducting his statutory annual review of State Pensions and benefit rates. The outcome of that review will be announced in due course.

Children: Maintenance

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what powers the Child Maintenance Service has to (a) enforce or (b) sanction parents in the event that a parent refuses to pay money that they owe.

Mims Davies: The Child Maintenance Group has the following powers which can be applied, immediately, if payment compliance cannot be re-established and are subject to fixed charges: Deduction of Earnings Order (£50.00 charge);Deduction from Earnings Request (£50.00 charge). If the paying parent is self-employed or not employed, we can apply:Regular Deduction Order ( £50.00 charge);Lump Sum Deduction Order (£200.00 charge). If a bank account is not identified or there are no, or insufficient, funds available to permit any deduction order, the case will be referred for consideration and instigation of legal enforcement action to secure what is owed. The following enforcement powers available are: Lump sum deduction order;Regular deduction order;Freezing order;Set aside disposition order;Liability order £300 charge;Registering liability order at county court (England and Wales);Registering liability with the Register of Judgements, Orders and Fines;Registering liability with the Enforcement of Judgments Office (Northern Ireland);Charging order (England and Wales);Order for sale;Enforcement agent action (England and Wales);Third party debt order (England and Wales);Disqualification from holding or obtaining a driving license;Commitment to prison;Disqualification from holding or obtaining a passport (England and Wales only). We always strive to achieve long term payment compliance and throughout the enforcement process, the case will continuously be reviewed to determine whether previously unsuccessful action may now be successful. The Child Maintenance Group regularly reviews enforcement procedures and policies to continuously improve efficiency and effectiveness. Legislation and policy are similarly reviewed with policy colleagues to consider whether other actions should be introduced.

Offshore Industry: Safety

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will list the maintenance shutdowns which have been carried out on offshore oil and gas installations since January 2020.

Mims Davies: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not hold this information. Duty holders are not required to inform HSE of their maintenance shutdowns.

Offshore Industry: Safety

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions his Department has had with counterparts in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the regulation of maintenance backlogs in the offshore oil and gas sector since January 2020.

Mims Davies: Since January 2020, officials at the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have held regular discussions on the regulation of maintenance backlogs with their counterparts at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). I have been informed by HSE that senior managers at HSE and BEIS work together through attending formal meetings and forums including those involving other North Sea regulators such as the North Sea Transition Authority to maintain a strategic focus on reduction of maintenance backlogs by duty holders.

Offshore Industry: Emergencies

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many offshore oil and gas workers completed basic offshore and induction emergency training in each year from 2014-15 to 2021-22.

Mims Davies: The Health and Safety Executive does not hold this information. The information is held by OPITO, the global skills body for the energy industry.

Offshore Industry: North Sea

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2022 to Question 61899, if he will list the HSE’s Process Safety Leadership interventions since the start of that programme; and what the (a) outcome or (b) status is of each of those interventions.

Mims Davies: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has completed Process Safety Leadership interventions at CNR International (UK) Ltd and BW Catcher Offshore (UK) Ltd.At CNR the intervention identified integrity management deficiencies at its installations for which an improvement notice was served. Other non-compliance issues were identified and have been confirmed in a letter to CNR and will be followed up.At BW five non-compliance issues were identified and have been confirmed in writing to the duty holder and will be followed up.A Process Safety Leadership intervention is currently in progress with Perenco UK Ltd. It has identified maintenance management deficiencies for which an improvement notice has been served, and other issues identified, which were confirmed in a letter to Perenco and will be followed up. The intervention will be completed when HSE’s team has met with Perenco’s leadership to learn of their plans to improve their performance in relation to the findings and the underlying causes. A Process Safety Leadership intervention has commenced at Shell, but its conclusions have not been finalised.

Employment: Young People

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what processes his Department has in place to help (a) support the operation of and (b) keep open youth employment hubs.

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many youth employment hubs there were in January 2022; and how many and what proportion of those hubs have not been told they are closing and remain open as of 8 November 2022.

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to take steps to offer services to replace the support offered to young people by Youth Employment Hubs in areas where they have closed down.

Mims Davies: We understand the significance local knowledge can play in providing tailored support. Our DWP Youth Hubs provide a range of services adapted to local needs and are a starting place for young people. Partnership working is central to the DWP Youth Offer. Through our partnership network we are engaging with a broad spectrum of providers including colleges, charities, and local authorities to develop place-based responses that support youth employment, including where appropriate, through Youth Hubs. Our locally formed and locally led Hubs bring together partner organisations and offer skills, training, and employment provisions. We empower our DWP Work Coaches within each Hub to maintain a youth friendly environment and support our young Universal Credit claimants looking to move in to work. As part of the DWP Youth Offer we provide intensive support during the first 13 weeks of a claim to help young people access the right opportunities for them and Youth Employability Coaches (YECs) who are helping young people overcome complex barriers to employment, as well as offering 6 weeks of in-work support once they move into work. YECs work closely alongside Disability Employment Advisors to support those with disabilities and health conditions, and partner organisations who can provide specialist advice. There were over 160 locally lead Youth Hubs open in January 2022. As of 8 November 2022, there are over 150 open Youth Hubs. Youth Hubs and their services are based in external partner owned premises. Local DWP teams and external partners delivering Youth Hubs jointly discuss the ongoing need for hubs in particular areas and take account of a range of factors, notably the number of young Universal Credit claimants searching for employment in that local area.

Department for Work and Pensions: Coronavirus

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employees in his Department work on matters related to covid-19.

Mims Davies: Since August 2022 COVID-19 work has become ‘business as usual’, therefore any work specifically connected to COVID related activities is no longer tracked or recorded by the department.

Child Maintenance Service: Standards

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Child Maintenance Service in ensuring that parents receive the money they are owed.

Mims Davies: The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) continues to take rigorous action to collect maintenance, combining robust negotiation activity with the highly effective use of its extensive range of Enforcement Powers. This approach is driven by the Payment Compliance strategy increasing CMG compliance influencing activities to tackle non-paying cases and challenge non-compliant behaviours.The UK went into its first lockdown on the 23rd March 2020, its second on the 5th November 2020 and its third on the 6th January 2021. The Child Maintenance Service was affected by the COVID-19 outbreak and the resultant changes to the Department’s operational priorities and staffing resources. CMS have worked in partnership with Courts and Enforcement Agents following the restrictions on Enforcement activity during this period to quickly return to normal operating practice and pursue non-compliant parents.Total child maintenance collected using Enforcement Actions amounted to £35.9 million in the quarter to June 2022 compared with £33.9 in June 2021 and £31.2 in June 2020. This rise in collections is linked directly to increased collections through Deductions from Earnings Orders, lump sum and regular deductions taken directly from paying parents’ bank accounts, Liability Order and Bailiff actions and making full use of all available sanctions.(Source – Child Maintenance Service published Statistics : National Tables – table 7.1 ‘Enforcement Actions’, April 2015 to June 2022).As a result of a focussed effort to increase enforcement activity £48.8 million was paid through the Collect & Pay service in the quarter to June 2022 compared to the quarter ending December 2019 where £44.1 million was paid before the impact of the pandemic took effect.(Source – Child Maintenance Service published Statistics : National Tables – table 5 ‘Money Due and Paid each quarter’ January 2015 to June 2022).There has been a consistent downward trend in the proportion of unpaid maintenance as a proportion of maintenance arranged since 2017, falling from 12.5% in 2017 to 8.25% in June 2022.(Source – Child Maintenance Service published Statistics : National Tables - table 6 ‘ how much maintenance CMS has arranged March 2015 to June 2022).

Independent Examiner of Complaints: Staff

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the staffing level is of the Independent Complaint Examiner's office; and how and what proportion of staff vacancies it has in relation to the Office’s complement as of 9 November 2022.

Mims Davies: The office of the Independent Case Examiner currently has a headcount of 97 (93.11 FTE) and is aiming to recruit up to 99 FTE by March 2023.  An internal recruitment campaign is underway for up to eight more investigators, which takes account of likely short-term turnover.

Carers Allowance

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of (a) increasing the level of carers allowance and (b) aligning that increase with unemployment benefit.

Tom Pursglove: The Government believes in providing the most support to those in the greatest need. Carer’s Allowance is payable to those whose ability to undertake paid employment is reduced by their caring responsibilities. It is not means-tested and is not based on a previous record of contributions. Jobseeker’s Allowance is a contributory benefit paid to those who are seeking work. It is also not means-tested but is based on previous National Insurance record which is reflected in the rate payable. In both cases, however, payments can be supplemented for those on low incomes by Universal Credit. Those with caring responsibilities can receive a Carer Element in Universal Credit of around £2,000 a year. This is in addition to the standard allowance and other amounts of Universal Credit that are payable to people without caring responsibilities, targeting additional support on those carers in the greatest need.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of households in receipt of the spare room subsidy are in employment as of 8 November 2022.

Mims Davies: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Offshore Industry: Health and Safety

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many trained safety representatives are qualified to work in the offshore oil and gas industry.

Mims Davies: The Health and Safety Executive does not collect this data.

Offshore Industry: Safety

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the functioning of the Offshore Installations (Safety Representatives and Safety Committees) Regulations 1989 since January 2020.

Mims Davies: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published its Workforce Engagement Inspection Guide in 2018. A key objective of the Inspection Guide is to help inspectors to assess compliance with the Offshore Installations (Safety Representatives and Safety Committees) Regulations 1989, SI 971, during their inspections. The Guide was developed by HSE’s Workforce Engagement Specialist Inspector. Since January 2020 to date 41 inspections have been carried out using the Inspection guide. The inspections assessed compliance against the inspection guide and of those inspections 4 were rated as being good; 29 were broadly compliant and 8 were deemed poor. Where non-compliance issues were found, duty holders were informed by letter of what they needed to do. HSE then monitored progress with them to ensure compliance.

Poverty: North of England

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the increase in absolute child poverty in (a) the North East and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber.

Mims Davies: No assessment has been made of child poverty in the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber for 2020/21. Given the impact of the pandemic on the size and quality of sample data, DWP statisticians concluded that for several of the breakdowns it would be difficult to make meaningful assessments of trends and changes in 2020/21 compared with the pre-Covid position. The Chief Statistician has therefore taken the decision not to publish additional breakdowns for regional child poverty in 2020/21. The Government is committed to reducing poverty and supporting low-income families. In 2022/23 we will spend over £242 billion through the welfare system in Great Britain including £108 billion on people of working age. With 1.25 million job vacancies across the UK, our focus is firmly on supporting parents to move into, and progress in work, an approach which is based on clear evidence about the importance of parental employment - particularly where it is full-time - in substantially reducing the risks of child poverty. The latest available data on in-work poverty shows that in 2019/20, children in households where all adults were in work were around six times less likely to be in absolute poverty (before housing costs) than children in a household where nobody works. In 2021, compared to 2010, there were nearly 1 million fewer workless households and almost 590,000 fewer children in workless households in the UK. In 2020/21, there were 200,000 fewer children in absolute poverty (before housing costs) than in 2009/10. To help people into work, including parents, our Plan for Jobs is providing broad ranging support for all Jobseekers with our Sector Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAP), Job Entry Targeted Support and Restart scheme. We are also extending the support Jobcentres provide to people in work and on low incomes. Through a staged roll-out, which started in April 2022, around 2.1 million low-paid benefit claimants will be eligible for support to progress into higher-paid work. Around 1.9 million of the most disadvantaged pupils are eligible for and claiming a free school meal, saving families around £400 per year. In addition, around 1.25 million more infants enjoy a free, healthy and nutritious meal at lunchtime following the introduction of universal infant free school meals. The National School Breakfast Provision programme (NSBP) is providing funding of up to £24 million in a two-year contract to continue our support for school breakfast provision until July 2023 supporting pupils in up to 2,500 schools that meet our criteria for levels of disadvantage. The Government is also investing £200 million a year to continue the Holiday Activities and Food Programme, which benefitted over 600,000 children last summer, and we have increased the value of the Healthy Start Scheme by a third to £4.25 a week. The government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and has taken further decisive action to support people with their energy bills. The government’s Energy Price Guarantee will save a typical British household around £700 this winter, based on what energy price would’ve been under the current price cap – reducing bills by roughly a third. This support will be in place from 1 October 2022 until 31 March 2023. A review will be launched to consider more targeted measures to support households with their energy bills after this period. This is in addition to the over £37bn of cost of living support announced earlier this year which includes the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. The £37bn also includes up to £650 in cost of living Payments (paid in 2 lump sums of £326 and £324) which have targeted support at around 8 million low-income households on means-tested benefits. In addition, 6 million eligible disabled people have received a one-off disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 and pensioner households will receive a one-off payment of £300 alongside the Winter Fuel Payment from this month. In collaboration with Local Authorities we have a well-established system of hardship payments, including the Discretionary Housing Payments, available as a safeguard for if claimants demonstrate they cannot meet their immediate and most essential needs due to the rise in the cost of living. For those who require additional support, we extended the Household Support Fund in England, which will be providing up to £421m of support for those most in need for the period October 2022 - March 2023 and is being delivered by Upper Tier and Unitary Councils. In the case of South Tyneside, the local authority has been allocated £1,484,854.01 for this period. The devolved administrations have been allocated £79 million through the Barnett formula as usual.

Offshore Industry: Safety

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the number of staff hours required to clear the current backlog of safety critical maintenance work in the offshore oil and gas industry.

Mims Davies: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) issued a maintenance backlog data request to all offshore production platform duty holders in February 2022, which included a request for remediation plans and timescales. This data was analysed at individual duty holder level and utilised to inform planned interventions with them. HSE will also be repeating its backlog data exercise in February 2023.HSE’s focus is ensuring that duty holders have credible plans for addressing their safety critical and other maintenance backlogs and holding them to account for delivering the identified actions. Differences in the way duty holders define backlogs and the ongoing nature of the actions being taken to reduce the backlogs mean it is not possible to provide an accurate estimate of the required staff hours to address this.

Early Retirement: Menopause

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential (a) impact and (b) of women taking early retirement due to menopause symptoms.

Mims Davies: The Department for Work and Pensions does not collect data on the impact of the menopause on employees taking early retirement. Too many women feel forced either to leave work, reduce their hours, or take a step back in their careers, because of the menopause. In July 2021, the Minister for Employment commissioned the roundtable on older workers to look at the menopause and employment, emphasising the importance of support and understanding by employers. An independent menopause and the workplace report was published and the Government’s response was outlined. Alongside this, the Women’s Health Strategy sets out a range of commitments including encouraging employers to implement evidence-based workplace support and introduce workplace menopause policies.

Offshore Industry: North Sea

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2022 to Question 61899, which duty holders are represented on the Asset Integrity Task Group; and how many times that group has met to date in 2022.

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2022 to Question 61899 on Offshore Industry: North Sea, if he will publish the terms of reference for the Asset Integrity Task Group.

Mims Davies: In March 2021 Offshore Energy UK (OEUK) arranged a workshop involving representatives from North Sea operators, Suppliers, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to discuss the increasing trend of maintenance backlogs within the offshore sector. This became the Maintenance Backlog Working Group (MBWG). The terms of reference are given in Appendix B of OEUK’s published guidance “OEUK’s Maintenance Backlog Measurement, Interpretation and Management Guideline”. During the coronavirus pandemic it was determined that the MBWG should be the principal asset integrity focus, and it is now part of the Asset Integrity Task Group (AITG). The AITG has met twice in 2022 with another meeting planned for 30 November 2022. Duty holders represented on the AITG are BP, Petrofac, CNOOC, Repsol Sinopec, EnQuest, Serica, Equinor, SRCN Solutions Ltd, Harbour Energy, Shell, Ithaca, Spirit Energy, Neptune Energy, TAQA, ODE Asset Management, TotalEnergies, Perenco and Wood.

Pension Credit

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications for Pension Credit have been successful since the start of the 2022-23 financial year.

Laura Trott: This information is only available at disproportionate cost to The Department for Work and Pensions as the Department does not have a business requirement for this information to be retained.

Support for Mortgage Interest

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to reform Support for Mortgage Interest by (a) removing the zero earnings rule, (b) reducing the qualifying period from nine months to three months and (c) offering the support as a grant.

Mims Davies: The Government announced a package of Housing Reforms on 9th June 2022, including changes to extend the Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) scheme. The reforms include reducing the qualifying period from nine to three months and removing the zero earnings rule to extend SMI eligibility to all eligible Universal Credit claimants. Further details of the changes are being worked on by officials and will be announced in due course. There are no plans to revert SMI to a benefit. The purchase of a home involves the acquisition of a valuable capital asset and so a fair balance has to be struck between the needs of homeowners and the cost to taxpayers. The loan system offers the same degree of protection from repossession at the point of need but strikes a better balance between the needs of claimants and the cost to taxpayers.

Pension Credit

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish statistics on applications for Pension Credit in each of the last five financial years.

Laura Trott: DWP has no plans to publish statistics on Pension Credit applications.

Pension Credit

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications for Pension Credit have been received since the start of the 2022-23 financial year.

Laura Trott: There have been 149,579 Pension Credit Claims received between April 2022 – October 2022. Source: Customer Account Management System

Access to Work Programme

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November to Question 75894 on Access to Work Programme, which stakeholders have attended Access to Work stakeholder forums and the Operational Stakeholder Engagement Forum which his Department's staff have attended in the last 12 months; and which stakeholders his Department's staff have met individually in that period.

Tom Pursglove: DWP Operational Stakeholder Engagement Forum has met on 10 occasions since November 2021 with 48 representatives:Age UKAspireBig Issue FoundationBritish Limbless Ex Services Men's AssociationCarers UKCentrepointChild Poverty Action GroupChristians Against PovertyCitizens AdviceCitizens Advice ScotlandCrisisDisability Law ServiceDisability Rights UKHelp for HeroesHomeless LinkIndependent AgeInstitute of Revenues, Rating and ValuationLocal Government Association (Social Security Advisors Group)Low Incomes Tax Reform GroupMacmillan Cancer SupportMarie CurieMENCAPMINDMoney & Pensions ServiceMotor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA)MS SocietyNational Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (NACRO)National Association of Student Money Advisers (NASMA)National Association of Welfare Rights AdvisersNational Bereavement AllianceNational Housing FederationParkinson's UKRefugeRightsnetRAF Benevolent FundRoyal British Legion IndustriesRoyal National Institute of Blind PeopleRNIDSalvation ArmyScopeSenseShelterSocial Security Advisory Committee (SSAC)Spectra ConnectStroke AssociationThe Trussell TrustThomas Pocklington TrustTurn to Us The Regional Access to Work Stakeholder Forums are organised and led by stakeholders, and as DWP does not convene these forums we are unable to provide the information requested.

Pension Credit

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications for Pension Credit have been processed since the start of the 2022-23 financial year.

Laura Trott: There have been 118,598 Pension Credit Claims processed between April 2022 – October 2022. Source: Customer Account Management System

Pension Credit: Publicity

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff were (a) recruited and (b) reassigned by his Department to work on the (i) awareness-raising campaign and (ii) applications for Pensions Credit in the latest period for which data is available.

Laura Trott: We have reassigned the full time equivalent of 100.27 colleagues and recruited 85 temporary staff to process the increased levels of Pension Credit Claims following the successful Pension Credit Campaign.

Department for Work and Pensions: Redundancy Pay

Christine Jardine: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to the public purse has been of Ministerial severance pay in his Department in each year since 1 January 2016.

Mims Davies: Under the Ministerial and Other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991, eligible Ministers who leave office are entitled to a one-off payment equivalent to one quarter of their annual salary at the point at which they leave Government.This applies only where a Minister is under 65 and is not appointed to a ministerial office within three weeks of leaving government.Individuals may waive the payment to which they are entitled. That is a matter for their personal discretion, but this approach has been taken in the past.Details of such payments are published in departmental annual reports and accounts, and ministerial salaries are published on GOV.UK here.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Air Pollution: Carbon Emissions

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the role of improved air quality in achieving net zero goals.

Rebecca Pow: Climate change and air pollution have many of the same emission sources. Driving innovative solutions to improve air quality across a range of sectors will have some co-benefits for delivering net zero. We are working closely with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Department for Transport to assess the impact on greenhouse gas emissions of air quality driven policies, as published in our impact assessments. We are also reviewing the greenhouse gas impact of our policy proposals to meet our legal commitments to reduce air pollution.

Hedges and Ditches: Climate Change

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in reference to the recommendation of the Committee on Climate Change, whether he will set a target to increase the UK’s hedgerow network by 40 per cent.

Trudy Harrison: Defra will encourage and support increased hedgerows through our environmental land management schemes. Working with Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot participants and gathering learning from the pilots, we are incorporating this feedback into the development of the live version of the Hedgerow Standard and its supporting capital items, which are due to be rolled out into the scheme in 2023. Defra is currently working on a response to the Climate Change Committee report and their recommendations, which is likely to be published in early 2023.

Bread

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason proposals on (a) bread consumption, (b) labelling and (c) marketing regulations were not included in her Department's consultation on Amending the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 and the Bread and Flour Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998, published on 1 September 2022.

Mark Spencer: The Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 and the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 cover specific rules on the labelling and composition of bread and flour. HM Government and the Devolved Administrations committed to carry out a review of Bread and Flour Regulations across the United Kingdom. We published a UK-wide consultation on 1st September 2022 on proposed changes to the regulations, this is open for responses until 23rd November.As part of the review Defra convened a technical working group made up of a wide range of relevant stakeholders to help identify and explore the issues around the regulations. The proposals included in the consultation address the most pressing aspects identified for change. These include the mandatory addition of folic acid to non-wholemeal flour to reduce neural tube defects in foetuses, and improvements to the legislation which will help reduce burdens for businesses while still protecting the health of consumers.Rules on the labelling and marketing of food more broadly are covered in general labelling legislation, and the United Kingdom maintains high standards on the information provided on food labels. Some suggestions on labelling and marketing of bread and flour were felt to go beyond those specific areas and were deemed out of scope of this consultation exercise. However, an update of existing guidance around commonly used marketing terms across all foods is planned for the future. HM Government is committed to optimising the information that is available to consumers, and the Government Food Strategy sets out work that we will be taking forward on consumer information and transparency.

Crown Dependencies: Biodiversity

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to preserve biodiversity in the Crown dependencies.

Trudy Harrison: The Crown Dependencies are responsible for their own environmental policy, including biodiversity. Defra provides supportive expertise to the Crown Dependencies where relevant, including recently regarding the upcoming Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP15.More broadly, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) liaises with the relevant Crown Dependencies concerning data on biodiversity and nature conservation for inclusion in UK National Reports for several multi-lateral environmental agreements where ratification of these treaties has been extended to them. The Crown Dependencies are also part of the JNCC's UK Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies Research and Training Steering Group. Recently Jersey and the Isle of Man have taken part in workshops looking at the implementation of the Emerald Network in the UK and discussions were held with Guernsey on the application of ecosystem accounts.

Local Government: Air Pollution

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help support and empower local authorities in meeting WHO guidelines on air quality.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to support and empower local authorities to meet World Health Organisation guidelines on air quality.

Rebecca Pow: HM Government provides a range of resources and tools to local authorities to enable them to manage air quality in their area. This includes the Air Quality Grant programme, which has provided over £80 million in funding since 1997, new Local Air Quality Management policy and technical guidance, and a strengthened framework including better enforcement of smoke control areas. We are reviewing our Air Quality Strategy, which supports local authorities to deliver improvements in air quality, and will publish a draft for consultation soon.

Air Pollution

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the monitoring and reporting of air pollution.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to improve the (a) monitoring and (b) reporting of air pollution.

Rebecca Pow: In 2021/22 we invested £1 million to expand our fine particulate matter (PM2.5) monitoring network, and will have at least doubled the size of the current network by the end of 2025. We are also investing £1.5 million during 2022/23 to establish two new multi-instrument particulate matter (PM) composition measurement sites to monitor PM2.5 mass, particle speciation, particle counting, black carbon and ammonia. While expert advice is that PM2.5 mass is the most effective metric for measuring harm to health from PM, these monitors will provide new data on the composition of PM, helping us to better understand how composition changes across the country and how composition relates to health impacts, which remain a scientific challenge. Defra, the UK Health Security Agency and the Department of Health and Social Care are also conducting a holistic review of the way we communicate air quality information and advice to the public. The outcomes will ensure the public is provided with timely and relevant information about air pollution: the actions people can take to limit their personal exposure; the impacts of air pollution on their health; and their own influence on air quality. Alongside this review a major overhaul of the UK-Air website and other Air Quality Web services is underway. This will deliver a simplified holistic service for all users. The department’s aim is to complete the whole web system review and have a clear vision for future web service provision by March 2025, with improvements being made in the interim.

Flowers: UK Trade with EU

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with representatives from the British florist industry on the impact of the (a) cost of inspection for phytosanitary certificates, (b) industry specific problems with groupage in haulage, (c) levels of paperwork and (d) customs agent fees on that sector's trade with the EU; and if she will make a statement.

Mark Spencer: Cut flowers from the EU do not currently require a phytosanitary certificate and consequently there are no associated inspection costs for these goods.Customs agents’ fees are a commercial matter, agreed between private parties so there has been no government consultation on this issue.Defra engage regularly with key stakeholders and several trade associations that represent the UK horticulture, floriculture and fresh produce sectors.The methodology used to calculate plant health import inspection fees has been consulted on whenever changes are made, most recently at the end of 2021, when a new flat-rate fee was introduced at the request of industry. Respondents to that consultation included the Fresh Produce Consortium, Horticultural Trades Association, National Farmers’ Union, Royal Forestry Society, Welsh Horticultural Stakeholders, and the Woodland Trust.We will continue to consult with representatives from trade associations and targeted stakeholders in the co-design of the new border Target Operating Model. A draft will be published and shared with industry for feedback soon.

Flood Control

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to Met Office forecasts from November 2022 that February 2023 is predicted to be the wettest part of the 2022-23 winter, what steps her Department is taking to prepare for potential flooding in that month.

Rebecca Pow: The Environment Agency (EA) is prepared to act wherever and whenever it is needed this winter. It has 5,000 trained staff across the country ready to respond. These staff will issue flood warnings, operate flood risk management assets such as the Thames and Boston barriers when flooding is forecast and work with partners to support at risk communities. The EA uses its flood warning system to directly alert over 1.6 million users when flooding is expected in their area. There are military personnel and contractors on standby who can be deployed to assist in the most significant incidents. In addition, the EA continues to build and repair flood defences to make the nation more resilient to flooding, delivering on HM Government’s record £5.2 billion investment in flood and coastal risk management. This has already resulted in more than 35,878 properties being better protected from flooding and coastal erosion since April 2021. The EA launched its annual Flood Action Campaign on 7 November to encourage people to prepare in advance for flooding. This promotes the simple steps that people can take to protect themselves, their family and homes.

Air Pollution: Public Health

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of launching a public awareness campaign on the health impacts and causes of air pollution.

Rebecca Pow: Defra is currently conducting a holistic review of the way we communicate air quality information to the public. This will ensure the public is provided with timely and relevant information about air pollution, the actions people can take to limit their personal exposure, the impacts of air pollution on their health, and their own influence on air quality. A steering group comprised of external experts have been appointed to advise on the scope and nature of the review.

Air Pollution: Local Government

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that local authorities adopt targets on air quality in line with the Environment Act 2021.

Rebecca Pow: Local Authorities have powers to tackle pollutant emissions from a number of local sources, including domestic burning, environmental permitting and through the planning system. We are considering how Local Authorities can contribute to meeting our national PM2.5 objectives, including targets set under the Environment Act 2021. We will consult on further guidance for local authorities in our forthcoming draft Air Quality Strategy, which we are currently reviewing.

Fly Tipping

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the potential correlation between fly-tipping rates and individual local authority disposal costs.

Rebecca Pow: We want to minimise barriers to the responsible disposal of waste, as these could be contributing to issues such as fly-tipping. That is why we recently consulted on preventing Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) from charging householders to dispose of small-scale DIY waste and issued a call for evidence on the use of booking systems at HWRCs. We aim to publish HM Government’s response to this consultation before the end of the year. A 2021 study conducted by Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), on behalf of Defra, investigated the relationship between fly-tipping rates and Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) charging. It found little to no evidence of a relationship between fly-tipping rates and HWRC charging, but it acknowledged that further work was needed to draw firm conclusions. The report can be found here: The relationship between fly-tipping rates and HWRC charging | WRAP. Last year we commissioned research into the drivers, deterrents and impacts of fly-tipping. It suggested that any friction in the services provided by local authorities, such as charges for waste disposal services, may impact on levels of fly-tipping.

Avian Influenza: Disease Control

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help contain the 2022 outbreak of Avian Influenza.

Mark Spencer: Defra’s objective in tackling any outbreak of avian influenza is to eradicate the disease as quickly as possible from the UK poultry and captive-bird population and regain UK World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) disease-free status. Defra’s approach is set out in the Notifiable Avian Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain supported by the Mitigation Strategy for Avian Influenza in Wild Birds in England and Wales. Defra’s approach to avian influenza considers the latest ornithological, epidemiological, veterinary and other scientific advice. Current policy reflects our experience of responding to past outbreaks of exotic animal disease and is in line with international standards of best practice for disease control.

Allotments: Biodiversity

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made a recent assessment of the role of allotment sites in meeting the objectives of her plans for biodiversity net gain.

Trudy Harrison: The biodiversity value of allotments is recognised in the biodiversity metric that we intend to use for biodiversity net gain, subject to a recent consultation. We are currently analysing responses to the consultation on this metric and will publish a response in due course. We have also been engaging with the sector to discuss how biodiversity net gain might affect allotments and how the approach could incorporate the delivery of new allotments.

Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to update the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966.

Mark Spencer: Defra is aware of the many potential benefits associated with updating the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 and is considering the most effective and proportionate approach for full or partial reform of the Act. There is currently no timescale as to when any reforms of this legislation might take place. Any proposals taken forward would be subject to a public consultation.

Sustainable Farming Incentive

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to encourage take-up of the Sustainable Farming Incentive.

Mark Spencer: The SFI pays farmers for managing their land sustainably. We have worked closely with farmers to make sure the scheme is attractive and accessible, grouping actions into simple packages set out as standards. As we expand the SFI offer by adding additional standards in 2023 and 2024, we expect uptake to accelerate. Increasing the number of standards available will increase the total amount of revenue that farmers can access by applying for multiple SFI standards.

Walley's Quarry Landfill: Regulation

Aaron Bell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the regulation of the operators of Walley's Quarry landfill site in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Rebecca Pow: Walley’s Quarry has been the source of unacceptable levels of odour for the local community, who have my sympathy. The Environment Agency is using the regulatory framework to drive improvement and continues to make announced and unannounced site inspections. In the five months to the end of September 2022, monitoring data indicates a monthly average hydrogen sulphide concentration close to or below the long-term health-based guidance value.

Fisheries: Cornwall and Devon

Kevin Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support her Department is providing to the fishing industry in (a) Devon and (b) Cornwall.

Mark Spencer: In England, the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme invests at least £6 million in the sector annually. Last year, it approved around 240 projects worth almost £4 million in Devon and Cornwall investing in health and safety, limiting the environmental impact of fishing and improving the value and quality of fisheries products. Wider support via the £100 million United Kingdom Seafood Fund is also available.

Agriculture: Sustainable Development

Wendy Morton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to support sustainable farming.

Mark Spencer: Environmentally-sustainable farming is fundamental to our approach to England’s agricultural system. We are introducing new schemes that reward farmers for sustainable farming practices. The first scheme, the Sustainable Farming Incentive, launched this year and pays farmers for managing their land sustainably, beyond regulatory requirements. Actions are grouped into simple packages known as standards, to make it easy for farmers to identify suitable actions. More standards will be introduced in the coming years.

Marine Conservation Zones

Duncan Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to protect Marine Conservation Zones.

Trudy Harrison: Marine Protected Areas are an integral part of how we will protect 30% of our land and sea by 2030. Our seas play a critical role in biodiversity and regulating the Earth’s climate. The ocean absorbs over 90% of all excess heat in the Earth’s system and also provides a home to up to 80% of all life on the planet.

Food and Rural Areas

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the impact of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU on (a) rural communities and (b) the food and drink sector.

Mark Spencer: Rural development is a devolved matter. Our report “Delivering for Rural England” sets out the key challenges facing rural communities in England and how the Government plans to address them. The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain. The Government has delivered the first free trade agreement the EU has ever reached based on zero tariffs and zero quotas, whilst our recent Food Strategy sets out how we will support a prosperous agri-food sector.

Nature Conservation

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to protect nature.

Trudy Harrison: We have already announced a legally binding target to halt nature’s decline by 2030. We have an extensive policy programme, including environmental land management schemes, biodiversity net gain, woodlands for water, and more. We have established over 360,000 acres of new habitat, helping to ensure we leave the environment in a better state than we found it.

Reservoirs

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help refill reservoirs from river abstraction, in the context of increases in rainfall and river water flow.

Rebecca Pow: Water companies are taking action to improve public water supplies, especially refilling reservoirs. They are using drought permits to allow them to take water from rivers, including new sources, or to modify or suspend conditions in their existing abstraction licences. When the Environment Agency (EA) determine a drought permit application they will ensure there are mitigating conditions in place to protect the environment. The EA is encouraging water companies to submit drought permit applications early to help improve supplies over winter in preparation for next spring and summer. The EA has granted 18 drought permits for South West Water, Thames Water, Severn Trent Water and South East Water. Defra has also determined a drought order for Yorkshire Water. The EA is determining further permit applications for Southwest Water, Yorkshire Water and Thames Water. We are also helping the agriculture sector refill their reservoirs over the winter. The EA is monitoring and forecasting flows to advise the farming sector when they can abstract in line with their licence conditions, which protect the environment and other water users. October rainfall was typically above average meaning that many farmers could start refilling their reservoirs and we are encouraging them to maximise all opportunities to do this, given November is forecast to be dry in many parts of the country.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Regulation

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will list those departmental documents predating the Brexit referendum that contained an assessment of business burdens arising from DEFRA regulations and showing the percentile estimate of source of origin, whether domestic or EU.

Mark Spencer: The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Prior to EU Exit, roughly 80% of Defra's policy areas were governed by EU law. We have already reformed REUL in key areas through flagship legislation such as the Environment Act, Fisheries Act and Agriculture Act. Defra's confirmed REUL is available on the public dashboard, owned by the Brexit Opportunities Unit. This will be updated quarterly. Effective regulation strengthens our economy through enabling the operation of Defra sectors and preventing costly impacts on our nature, environment, and public health. Where regulations are creating unjustifiable burdens on business, Defra is committed to reform them to ensure we support our environment and our economy alike.

Water: Storage

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to increase reservoir and water storage capacity.

Rebecca Pow: The Government recognises the need to improve the resilience of our water supplies and is committed to a twin track approach to improving water resilience. This involves investing in new supply infrastructure and action to reduce water company leaks and improve water efficiency. The National Framework for Water Resources, published in March 2020, sets out the strategic water needs for England to 2050 and beyond. The Framework sets out how we will reduce demand, halve leakage rates, develop new water supply infrastructure, move water to where itis needed, increase drought resilience of water supplies, and reduce the need for drought measures. Water companies are using the £469 million made available by Ofwat in the current Price Review period (2019-2024) to progress the infrastructure required. Before the end of this year, water companies will publish their statutory draft Water Resources Management Plans for consultation, that will set out how they will improve drought resilience and secure water supplies in the long term. The Government also supports the agricultural sector with its Farming Transformation Fund grants for the construction of new reservoirs.

South West Water: Plymouth

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department (a) has had and (b) plans to have discussions with South West Water on the (i) ownership of and (ii) liability for sewage pipes from the former MOD-owned Admiralty Cottages in Stonehouse in Plymouth.

Rebecca Pow: The Environment Agency have investigated this matter and are working with South West Water and the local authority.

Deposit Return Schemes

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she will publish her proposals on the operation of deposit return schemes.

Rebecca Pow: HM Government has consulted twice on the introduction of a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and further details will be set out in the Government response to the 2021 consultation. We are working towards publication of the Government response in late 2022.

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she intends to publish updated regulations on doorstep waste collection; and if she will place a copy of his proposals in the Library of the House of Commons.

Rebecca Pow: Following support at consultation, the Environment Act 2021 amends the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to stipulate that all local authorities in England will be required to collect a core set of materials for recycling. Last year we held a second consultation on proposals including implementation timelines, materials in scope and exemptions. We will publish a consultation response in due course before taking regulations through Parliament.

Land Use

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on taking steps to help ensure that processes for repurposing land for community growing schemes are simplified.

Trudy Harrison: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on a range of issues.The Government recognises the importance of access to local green spaces including allotments, community gardens and orchards. They can help to bring about long-term improvements in people's health and wellbeing and promote local social interaction, as well as providing wider benefits for nature and the environment.  The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that local planning policies should be based on robust and up-to-date assessments of the need for open space and opportunities for new provision, which can include allotments, and their plans should then seek to accommodate this.

Home Office

Seasonal Workers: Fees and Charges

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8 June 2022 to Question 11837 on Seasonal Workers: Fees and Charges, what estimate she has made of when this investigation will conclude.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office does not comment on the investigative activities of the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority and cannot provide timetables for their activities.

Development Aid: Detention Centres

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much and what proportion of the foreign aid budget was spent on migrant processing (a) centres, (b) facilities and (c) procedures in the South East in the 2021-22 financial year.

Robert Jenrick: Home Office have not used any Official Development Assistance (ODA) funds on migrant processing centres or facilities such as Manston and Western Jet Force.

Agriculture: Seasonal Workers

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is her Department’s policy that Scheme Operators are responsible for ensuring that people on the agricultural seasonal workers visa scheme to not have zero-hours contracts; and what (a) consequences and (b) options for redress exist in the event that a worker is provided with a zero-hours contract.

Robert Jenrick: The regulations which Scheme Operators are required to follow are set out in the relevant sponsor guidance for the Seasonal Worker route. This explicitly prohibits the use of zero-hours contracts. Any allegation of noncompliance with these requirements would be considered under our published compliance processes.The relevant sponsor guidance can be found here: Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors: sponsor a seasonal worker - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Asylum: Temporary Accommodation

Mark Jenkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers are housed in (a) hotels, (b) houses in multiple occupation and (c) other temporary accommodation in each constituency as of 14 November 2022.

Robert Jenrick: The significant increase in dangerous journeys across the Channel is placing unprecedented strain on our asylum system and it has made it necessary to continue to use hotels to accommodate some asylum seekers. The use of hotels is a short-term solution and we are working hard with local authorities to find appropriate accommodation.Statistics relating to supported asylum seekers temporarily residing in contingency accommodation are published as Immigration Statistics under the S98 population tables. The latest publication (March 2022) can be found here Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), under the document Asylum seekers in receipt of support (second edition). The data published at the end of June have been recently removed and are being investigated. An update will be provided in the next Immigration Statistics release.The Home Office does not publish a breakdown of these statistics which disaggregates the number of asylum seekers accommodated in specific accommodation. These figures are not available in a reportable format and to provide the information could only be done at disproportionate cost.

Asylum: Housing

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 9 November 2022 to Question 75953 on Asylum: Housing, if she will list the categories her Department used to record the nature of complaints on accommodation provided by Clearsprings Ready Homes.

Robert Jenrick: Migrant Help do not categorise complaints, however if they are escalated to the department we use the following categorisations.Food in Initial AccommodationHousing Officer Behaviour/ConductMaintenance Officer Behaviour/ConductMaintenance outside of Service Level AgreementNo Action/Dissatisfied with action on Request For AssistanceDelay - AuthorityPayment IssuesPayment Issues – AspenPayment Issues – GeneralService Delivery GeneralService Delivery in Hotel/Initial AccommodationStaff Behaviour/Treatment in Hotel/Initial AccommodationOther

Seasonal Workers: Visas

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many licenses for seasonal worker visa scheme operators have been revoked since the start of the Seasonal Workers Scheme.

Robert Jenrick: No licences have been revoked since the beginning of the scheme.

Asylum: Hotels

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will conduct an investigation into conditions at the SERCO-run hotel accommodating asylum seekers in the Metropolitan borough of Stockport.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office expects the highest standards from our accommodation providers, who are contractually obliged to provide adequate accommodation and to conduct regular quality assurance checks across the asylum estate.Robust compliance and governance protocols exist to ensure daily engagement is undertaken with our service providers by Home Office officials to ensure and assure that the providers’ operational delivery and overall performance consistently meet the required standards. If any issues are identified providers are required to take immediate action to address and recover accordingly.We have not had any specific queries raised in regards to this particular hotel, therefore we will not be investigating but we would if concerns were raised.If accommodation providers have been found to have fallen short of the required standards, then we can take action, including but not limited to the application of financial remedies.

Asylum: Housing

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps her Department has taken to help mitigate the risk of the spread of (a) diseases and (b) other health conditions in properties housing asylum seekers.

Robert Jenrick: The welfare and safety of all vulnerable asylum seekers in our care is of the utmost importance to the Home Office.We work closely with the UK Health Security Agency to ensure we adhere to the current guidance on mitigating the risk of spread of diseases and other health conditions. Our accommodation providers are experienced in managing accommodation and implement infection prevention and control measures in line with current Government guidance. Asylum seekers accommodated in hostel-based accommodation receive translated guidance in relation to potential symptoms and hygiene requirements, assistance and guidance are provided by support staff.

Asylum: Northern Ireland

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many hotels in Northern Ireland have been contracted by her Department to provide accommodation for asylum seekers in the last six months.

Robert Jenrick: Due to the continuing unprecedented high volume of small boats arrivals and the historical pressure from COVID-19 measures on the asylum system it has been necessary to continue to use hotels to accommodate some asylum seekers to meet our immediate statutory need. There have been 22 hotels in Northern Ireland that have been in use over the past 6 months. Of these 22, 4 have started their contract in the past 6 months.

Home Office: Redundancy

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she (a) has or (b) is planning to have a voluntary exit programme for civil servants in her Department.

Chris Philp: The Home Office do not have any Voluntary Exit Programmes running (a) at the moment and (b) do not have any planned for this year.

Home Office: Disclosure of Information

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) non-disclosure and (b) other confidentiality agreements relating to (i) employment, (ii) bullying, (iii) misconduct and (iii) harassment cases have been agreed by their Department in each year since 1 January 2010; and how much money from the public purse has been spent on (a) legal costs and (b) financial settlements for such agreements in each year since 1 January 2010.

Chris Philp: Since the last Parliamentary Question on this issue (UIN 243415, tabled on 10 April 2019), from the records examined there have been no further non-disclosure or confidentiality agreements placed upon Home Office staff.

Police: Vetting

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to require continuous and regular vetting of police officers throughout the duration of their career.

Chris Philp: The framework for police vetting is set by the College of Policing through its statutory vetting code of practice and vetting authorised professional practice (APP) guidance. The guidance is reviewed on an ongoing basis.Officers must have their vetting renewed at prescribed intervals. We expect the College of Policing and National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) to work together and address the relevant recommendations on this point from the report of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) into vetting, misconduct and misogyny in the police service which was published on 2nd November 2022.

Press: Proof of Identity

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how the National Police Chief's Council's recognition of the UK Press Card Authority press card scheme is taught in (a) College of Policing initial training and (b) continuing professional development.

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how the press's right to report on police operations and protest situations is taught at (a) College of Policing initial training and (b) continuing professional development.

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how compliance with College of Policing Authorised Professional Practice guidance on Media Relations that reporting or filming from the scene of an incident is part of the media’s role and they should not be prevented from doing so from a public place, is monitored and recorded.

Chris Philp: The management of demonstrations is as operational matter for the police. Ministers are unable to intervene in individual cases or in operational decisions made by the police. To do so would undermine the principle that the police are operationally independent of Government. It is for the Police, in conjunction with the Crown Prosecution Service to determine whether an action warrants possible criminal proceedings.The Government recognises that the challenges of policing protests means that they often need to make quick decisions, including to maintain public safety and prevent disruption.Training standards and the national policing curriculum are set by the College of Policing. Forces provide local training and development at several different levels ranging from initial entry, leadership and ongoing development to reflect and reinforce organisational valuesThe College of Policing’s Initial Learning Curriculum includes a package of content on effectively dealing with the media in a policing context. In addition, the College of Policing’s Authorised Policing Practice contains a section dedicated to reporting from the scene of an incident. This can be found through the link below:https://www.college.police.uk/app/engagement-and-communication/media-relationsSimilarly, the Authorised Professional Practice for Public Order contains a section on the interaction of the police with members of the media. This includes the recognition of press identification, including the UK Press Card. This can be found through the link below:https://www.college.police.uk/app/public-order/communication - members-of-the-mediaHertfordshire Constabulary has confirmed in a press statement that additional measures are now in place to ensure that legitimate media are able to do their job following concerns over the recent arrests. The force has also requested an independent force to examine its approach to these arrests and to identify any learning. This can be found through the link below:https://www.herts.police.uk/news/hertfordshire/news/2022/november/statement-regarding-arrests-of-journalists--9-november/

Press Freedom

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she (a) has held recent and (b) plans to hold discussions with police forces on (i) the recent arrest of journalists covering protests and (ii) the role of the media in a democracy.

Chris Philp: The management of demonstrations is an operational matter for the police.The Government recognises that the challenges of policing protests means that they often need to make quick decisions, including to maintain public safety and prevent disruption.However, the Government is equally clear that the role of members of the press must be respected. It is vital that journalists are able to do their job freely without restriction. Police training and Authorised Professional Practice covers appropriate interaction between police and members of the media.Hertfordshire Constabulary has confirmed in a press statement that additional measures are now in place to ensure that media are able to do their job following concern over the recent arrests. The force has also requested an independent force to examine its approach to these arrests and to identify any learning. This can be found through the link below:https://www.herts.police.uk/news/hertfordshire/news/2022/november/statement-regarding-arrests-of-journalists--9-november/

Detention Centres: Manston

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individuals have been transferred from Manston immigration facility to a hotel since 6 September 2022.

Robert Jenrick: Due to the nature of Manston as a Processing Centre the numbers of adults and children moving in and out rapidly changes. Any figures provided could be inaccurate at the time of publication. We continue to work at pace to secure suitable alternative accommodation.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Homes for Ukraine Scheme

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether the cost of the £350 a month Homes for Ukraine payments to hosts is being charged to the Official Development Assistance budget; and what the estimated cost of Homes for Ukraine payments will be in the 2022-23 financial year.

Felicity Buchan: Relevant published guidance on international development aid spending are being followed. Details of spending will be set out in due course.

Homes for Ukraine Scheme: Bristol City Council

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the potential financial impact of the potential removal of the Homes for Ukraine scheme tariff on Bristol City Council.

Felicity Buchan: We have provided funding per arrival to councils to enable them to provide support to individuals and families. This is un-ringfenced, which allows councils to use the funding as best suits the local area, including measures to support guests during and post the initial six months of sponsorship.

Private Rented Housing: Evictions

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing emergency legislation to abolish Section 21 no fault evictions, in the context of the cost-of-living crisis.

Felicity Buchan: Ensuring a fair deal for renters remains a priority for this government, and we will legislate in due course to abolish section 21 'no fault' evictions.

Help to Buy Scheme

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many homes were bought using the Help to Buy scheme in (a) Westminster constituency and (b) each local authority area in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Lucy Frazer: Data on households which have benefitted from the Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme in each local authority area can be found in published statistics here.

Leasehold: Insulation

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many Help to Buy leaseholders paid the £425 administration fee following the commitment by Homes England that the RICS president would find a surveyor to make a cladding-affected valuation of their property.

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to help Help to Buy leaseholders find a surveyor to make a cladding-affected valuation of their property.

Lucy Frazer: All customers who wish to pay off their equity loan need to have their home professionally valued first to ascertain its current market value. Those whose properties have building safety issues, such as unsafe exterior cladding, can present additional challenges in valuing. The process to get a valuation and redeem an equity loan for properties affected by cladding can be found on Target, the loan administrator's, website here.We are aware that some customers are having difficulties finding a valuer prepared to value their properties. We are working with Homes England and RICS to try to find ways to help customers, including potentially unlocking more valuation options for them in the future.Homes England previously referred some customers to the President of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) to appoint a valuer. Fourteen customers paid and were subsequently refunded the £425 fee once it became clear that the option was no longer viable.

Levelling Up Fund

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his timescale is for publishing information on successful bids to the Levelling Up Fund Round 2.

Dehenna Davison: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 76086, on the 9th November 2022.

Towns Fund

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much and what proportion of the Towns Fund has been spent as of 8 November 2022.

Dehenna Davison: The Towns Fund is made up of two major programmes: Town Deals and the Future High Streets Fund competition. As of November 2022, and as set out in relevant Grant Determination Letters, the Town Deals programme has spent over £670 million, or 29% of its budget, and the Future High Streets Fund has spent £481 million, or 58% of its budget. Payments are made according to the financial profiles submitted to us by places. All funding is due to be spent by March 2026.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Rob Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 14 November 2022 to Question 80942 on UK Shared Prosperity Fund, when he plans to have finalised the validation of investment plans; and whether he plans to notify local authorities (a) when their plans have been assessed or (b) when all assessments have been completed.

Dehenna Davison: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 80942, on the 14th November 2022. Further to this, local authorities will be notified when validation has been completed.

Poverty: Regional Planning and Development

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what plans his Department has to tackle increasing levels child poverty through levelling up policies.

Dehenna Davison: Levelling Up recognises that talent is spread equally but opportunity is not. To unlock the potential of our nation we need to give everyone an opportunity to flourish. The Levelling Up White Paper set out twelve missions focused on the most left behind areas, with the aim of raising living standards across the United Kingdom. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) leads cross-government action on tackling poverty, working closely with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and other departments.

Public Lavatories: Building Regulations

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he has taken to progress (a) research on the needs of all people using toilets and (b) wider research on Part M of the Building Regulations on access to and use of buildings.

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if the Government will bring forward legislative proposals to introduce a statutory obligation to provide sanitary bins in (a) existing and (b) newly built men's public toilets.

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of requiring the provision of sanitary bins in male toilets in statute.

Lee Rowley: Improving the accessibility and use of buildings is already a part of the Government’s agenda on the built environment. A process has been underway since 2020 to update the building regulations and associated guidance contained in Approved Document M. Simultaneously, a call for evidence on toilet provision was undertaken earlier this year and Written Ministerial Statement HCWS172 followed from it.The Government is committed to undertaking further technical consultations on both of these workstreams in due course. Upon conclusion of those consultations, responses will be considered, and policy announcements will then be made in the appropriate way.

Cabinet Office

Cabinet Office: Civil Servants

Philip Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the civil service headcount for their Department was on (a) 15 November 2022 and (b) 1 February 2020.

Jeremy Quin: In October 2022 (latest workforce figures) the number of staff employed in my Department was 9464. In February 2020 the number of staff employed in my Department was 7960.Most of the increase here (84%) is the result of the transfer of staff and functions into the Cabinet Office from other Government Departments under machinery of government changes.As part of this Government’s commitment to transparency, my Department publishes workforce statistics each month. Information about staffing levels since June 2016 are available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/payroll-costs-and-non-consolidated-pay-data

Smoking

Ben Bradley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Office for National Statistics’ Adults Smoking Habits in the UK bulletin will be published.

Jeremy Quin: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.A response to the Hon. Member's Parliamentary Question of 15 November is attached. Response (pdf, 109.5KB)

Covid-19 Inquiry: Costs

Emma Hardy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what is the projected cost to the public purse of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.

Jeremy Quin: The Inquiry’s timescales, process and procedure are all matters for its independent Chair, who is under a statutory duty to avoid unnecessary cost in the conduct of the Inquiry. The Inquiry will publish details of its expenditure on its website in due course.

Former Ministers: Complaints

Angela Rayner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which team in his Department has responsibility for handling formal complaints against Ministers.

Jeremy Quin: The Government takes any allegations of misconduct extremely seriously, and has established processes for the handling of complaints.The Prime Minister's constitutional position as head of Government gives him sole responsibility for the overall organisation of the Executive. The ultimate responsibility for decisions on matters of Ministerial conduct is therefore, quite properly, that of the Prime Minister.The Prime Minister’s expectations of Ministers are set out in the Ministerial Code, which makes clear that Ministers are expected to maintain high standards of behaviour and to behave in a way that upholds the highest standards of propriety.Where there is a complaint or allegation about a breach of the Code, the Prime Minister may ask the Cabinet Office to investigate the facts of the case and/or refer the matter to the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests.The Prime Minister has committed to appointing an Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests, and the appointment process is in train.

Cabinet Office: Redundancy Pay

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether they (a) have or (b) are planning a voluntary exit programme for civil servants serving in their Department.

Jeremy Quin: The Cabinet Office is currently running a targeted voluntary exit scheme. There are no confirmed plans to run further voluntary exit schemes in the Cabinet Office.Cabinet Office currently has one launched voluntary exit scheme aimed at reducing workforce numbers in the UK security and vetting department. Voluntary exit schemes are a commonly used workforce management process available to departments based on their specific workforce needs.

Cabinet Office: Disclosure of Information

Layla Moran: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many (a) non-disclosure and (b) other confidentiality agreements relating to (i) employment, (ii) bullying, (iii) misconduct and (iii) harassment cases have been agreed by their Department in each year since 1 January 2010; and how much money from the public purse has been spent on (A) legal costs and (B) financial settlements for such agreements in each year since 1 January 2010.

Jeremy Quin: Agreement for non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements are devolved to business units; the Cabinet Office does not hold this information centrally. The Cabinet Office is, therefore, not able to respond due to the disproportionate cost of gathering this data.The Cabinet Office follows the principles laid out in the Cabinet Office Guidance on Settlement Agreements, Special Severance Payments on Termination of Employment and Confidentiality Clauses which is published on the internet, when considering any settlement agreements.The Government is clear that confidentiality clauses should not be used to prevent staff from raising or discussing allegations of bullying, harassment or discrimination

State Retirement Pensions: Age

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of when the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s investigation into maladministration over changes to the State Pension age will conclude.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an estimate of the average time it takes for an investigation by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman takes to conclude.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an estimate of the average length of time taken between recommendations for compensation being made by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and payments being made to those affected..

Jeremy Quin: The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman is a Crown servant that reports directly to Parliament. The Ombudsman is not accountable to the Government for its performance and sets its own standards for complaints handling and investigations. The Ombudsman is accountable to Parliament through the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, which holds an annual scrutiny session to evaluate its performance.

Department for International Trade

Overseas Trade: Switzerland

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, when her Department plans to publish its response to the consultation Trade with Switzerland: call for input which closed on 22 June 2022.

Greg Hands: We are currently reviewing submissions to the call for input on an enhanced free trade agreement with Switzerland, and continue to engage with stakeholders during this process. We will publish our response to the consultation prior to the formal commencement of negotiations with Switzerland, expected to be in 2023.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Tech Nation: Equality

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2021 to Question 140074 on Tech Nation: Equality, what progress Tech Nation has made on (a) capturing data on the ethnic background of applicants to its programmes and (b) developing a diversity data capture framework; and what recent assessment has been made of the level of diversity in the tech companies supported by Tech Nation's programmes.

Paul Scully: Tech Nation has been collecting diversity data of applicants to its programmes since September 2020, including on ethnic backgrounds. This is subject to a self-identification process by participants.Tech Nation developed a diversity data capture framework, which has also been made available to the sector, as part of its Diversity and Inclusion toolkit.In May 2022, DCMS assessed the level of diversity in the tech companies supported by Tech Nation’s programmes, as part of the Departments’ Public Sector Equality Duty. For this assessment, Tech Nation provided data on the age, ethnicity and gender of its beneficiaries. This data shows that, excluding Libra (a targeted growth programme for ethnic minority founders), 27.2% of founders within Tech Nation’s cohorts identify as non-white (11.8% as Asian, 3.5% as Black, 11.8% as other).DCMS has recently commissioned Frontier Economics to undertake an independent evaluation of DCMS’ funding to Tech Nation for financial years 20/21- 22/23, which we intend to publish in the first half of 2023. This will include an assessment of the impact of Tech Nation’s activities on particular groups where possible.

English National Opera: Staff

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether Arts Council England have made an estimate of the (a) number of people employed by the English National Opera and (b) proportion of those employees who would be able to move out of London.

Stuart Andrew: Decisions on issues relating to staff employment and location are always made by organisations independently of both HM Government and Arts Council England. Arts Council England is, however, currently working with the English National Opera on possibilities for the future of the organisation.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Special Advisers

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 November to Question 77342 on Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Redundancy Pay, how many special advisers working in her Department had their employment terminated, after their appointing minister ceased to hold office, from 29 June to 9 November 2022; at what pay band each was employed; and whether each had been in post for (a) 0-3 months, (b) 3-6 months, (c) 6-12 months or (d) more than 12 months.

Julia Lopez: In line with the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 and the Model Contract for Special Advisers, a Special Adviser's appointment automatically terminates following a change of Administration; when their appointing Minister leaves office; or in the event of a General Election. Under these circumstances, Special Advisers are contractually entitled to a severance payment.The contract sets out that Special Advisers who are later re-appointed to Government must repay their severance pay, less the amount of salary that they would have been paid had they been employed during the period between their termination and their re-appointment.The contracts of all Special Advisers in DCMS were automatically terminated on the change of Administration. The contract also sets out that Special Advisers are entitled to receive three months’ pay if termination occurs at any time during the first year of service, with an additional month’s pay for each completed year of service after the first year, subject to an overall maximum of six months’ pay. Where individuals were immediately re-appointed, severance was not payable.Information on Special Adviser numbers and costs, including pay bands, is published annually in the Annual Report on Special Advisers as per the requirements of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.

Project Gigabit: Voucher Schemes

Richard Foord: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many Project Gigabit vouchers have been issued since June 2022.

Julia Lopez: Building Digital UK publishes quarterly updates on the progress of Project Gigabit. Between April and November 2022, 31,900 vouchers were issued under the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme. These figures are provisional and will be confirmed in Building Digital UK’s 2022-23 Performance Report.

Project Gigabit: Voucher Schemes

Richard Foord: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how long the current average wait is for Project Gigabit vouchers to be issued is following a successful application.

Julia Lopez: Vouchers for the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme are usually issued within 48 hours of Building Digital UK receiving confirmation that the beneficiary has validated their details, confirming the application. In certain instances, this timeframe can be extended while BDUK awaits the mandatory evidence that is required for a project to proceed.

Project Gigabit: Voucher Schemes

Richard Foord: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will publish figures on the amount of time taken for her Department to review and approve applications for Project Gigabit vouchers.

Julia Lopez: BDUK does not publish figures on the average amount of time taken to review applications for the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme.BDUK is committed to working with all suppliers registered to the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme to ensure that projects are sequenced appropriately and align with the suppliers’ capacity to deliver the projects.Projects that have been deemed as a high priority by the supplier can be submitted, reviewed and approved within 48 hours of a supplier highlighting a project to BDUK. Similarly, projects can be deprioritised by a supplier if the build date is further in the future, meaning that the review and approval process can take longer.

Women and Equalities

Equal Pay

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will increase the gender pay gap reporting threshold for firms to 500 employees.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what discussions the Government has had about increasing the gender pay gap reporting threshold.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will make it her policy to increase the gender pay gap reporting threshold to firms with at least 500 employees.

Maria Caulfield: Under the Gender Pay Gap Information Regulations 2017, organisations with 250 or more employees are required to report specific gender pay gap data on an annual basis. The threshold of 250 employees is set out within the Equality Act 2010 and there are no current plans for changes to be made to this legislation.

Cost of Living: Domestic Abuse

Simon Fell: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the impact of the cost of living crisis on survivors of domestic abuse.

Mims Davies: Tackling domestic abuse is a priority for this Government and ensuring all victims and survivors of this heinous crime get the support they need.It’s concerning increases in the cost of living may exacerbate risk factors which Women’s Aid have highlighted, and the Home Office is looking to act on.The Government’s Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan commits £230m to tackling domestic abuse , including a focus of over £140m to work to support victims, and will establish trials of a ‘flexible fund’, which charities could use to provide extra money to victims and survivors. .